Sex Drive

If we listen to everything movies teach us, teenagers apparently like to have sex and aspire to have as much sex as humanly possible. So I hear, I could be wrong. But with that premise, we've gotten a lot -- a lot -- of teen sex comedies, some better than others. It's a sub-genre all to itself, one that audiences are quite familiar with. In other words, you've got to do something new/surprising to be effective. Take 2008's Sex Drive, a flick that seems pretty been there, done that in its raunchiness. Brace yourself though....it's good, really good.

Having just graduated high school, 18-year old Ian (Josh Zuckerman) is a virgin and trying his best to lose that virginity. He has a crush on his longtime friend Felicia (Amanda Crew), but she seems to see him as nothing more than a good friend she can talk to about anything and everything. Ian is also talking to a girl from Kentucky, Ms. Tasty, online although he's pretending to be a muscle-bound football player. One night, Ms. Tasty tells Ian he should come visit her, and because he drove all that way, she'll have sex with him. Ian is wary of driving all that way, but his ladies man friend Lance (Clark Duke) convinces him otherwise. They "borrow" Ian's brother classic 1969 GTO and hit the road, but Felicia tags along -- even if she doesn't know the real intention of the road trip. Chicago to Knoxville, Tennessee? What could go wrong?

With movies like Superbad and the American Pie series (among countless others), the teen sex comedy is nothing new for audiences. 'Drive' is actually based off a novel by Andy Behrens (a Yahoo Sports writer), and I for one can say I was very surprised to hear that a sex comedy was based off a novel. Reviews are solid for Behrens' novel though with director Sean Anders obviously amping things up in his flick. There are touches that feel too familiar, but the teen sex comedy road trip buddy flick is just that, familiar. Ian, Lance and Felicia run into all sorts of eccentric horny people and various craziness on the road, but you knew that going in. None of this is intended as a negative or a dig at the movie. It's all very funny, the laughs treading that fine line between awfully stupid and just goofy that is funny.

Through all the sex jokes and general raunchiness, the heart of this flick is in the characters. The best example I can come up with is Superbad where we (well, I did) liked the main characters, making the hijinks they get into more fun to watch. That's especially the case with our teenage trio -- in the film at least -- as they steal a classic car and head south. Zuckerman is really good as Ian, your typical average high schooler who leans toward the nerdy side. Sometimes it's a little exaggerated, but 'Drive' gets the awkwardness of high school right on all levels. Duke is a scene-stealer as Lance, a chubby, pretty normal looking guy who has nonetheless turned himself into a ladies man with his ultra-confidence. Mostly though, he's a good friend to Ian, genuinely looking out for him. Crew is solid too as Felicia, the girl of Ian's dreams who may or may not like him too. Uh-oh, didn't see that coming!

Following the genre formula, we do meet some rather zany personalities along the way. 'Drive' doesn't have much in the way of star power, but Anders and John Morris do a really good job writing a screenplay off Behrens' novel, especially throwing a long line of kooky supporting characters at the viewer. Let's start with James Marsden as Rex, Ian's older brother who's a gearhead and convinced his little bro is gay. When his car gets stolen, he's understandably a little upset. Seth Green is another scene-stealer as Ezekiel, an Amish mechanic who can't pass up a good chance to lay some sarcasm down. Alice Greczyn is Mary, an Amish girl who takes a liking to Lance and vice versa, Katrina Bowden is the girl of Ian's sex dreams, Ms. Tasty, Charlie McDermott and Mark L. Young as Andy and Randy, two motor-mouthed teenagers who are always on the lookout for a hook-up, Michael Cudlitz as a pissed-off pursuer on the highway, and David Koechner as a wayward hitchhiker.

There's no point in overanalyzing this one. It's from a familiar sub-genre, but it does plenty to distance itself from the pack. Different characters and situations should seem familiar. If you've seen any other teen sex comedy, you've seen some of the predecessors to this one. The humor can be pretty raunchy -- especially the unrated version -- and there's random bits of nudity sprinkled in throughout the movie. I liked it a lot though. It is goofy from beginning to end, but the characters are at least remotely believable and sympathetic, and the laughs are there throughout. Definitely give this one a try.

Sex Drive (2008): ***/****

Can't Hardly Wait

With movies like Ferris Bueller, 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, and The Breakfast Club, director John Hughes opened the door for a new wave of comedies in the 1980s, a new sub-genre that is still alive and kicking 30 years later; the teenage comedy (now adjusted to the teen sex comedy). New variations and developments keep on changing the teen comedy, but one of the best is 1998's Can't Hardly Wait, almost a tribute to Hughes' films.

It's graduation day at Huntington High School. With summer and college ahead of all the graduates, the senior class has one more party together, an epic house party with ample amounts of booze. With one last shot to accomplish what they want, many grads go into the party with an objective. Smart everyman Preston (Ethan Embry) wants to profess his love for Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the school's hottest girl and recently dumped by star athlete Mike Dexter (Peter Facinelli). A class nerd, William (Charlie Korsmo) hopes to humiliate Mike for years of torture and abuse while Kenny (Seth Green) simply wants to get some action. All sorts of hijinks and shenanigans are on the docket, and no one is immune from some trouble.

A formula for a successful teen-high school-epic party movie is simple; is it real? Is it even remotely similar to what high school is actually like? 'Wait' passes with flying colors. Sure, some things are exaggerated a titch here and there (gotta get those laughs), but directors/screenwriters Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan get it right. For most of us, high school was an extremely awkward, uncomfortable time. So when I say a successful teen comedy is 'real,' that's what I mean. Much of the laughs come from the natural awkwardness resulting from 17 and 18-year old teenagers trying to figure out who they are. Throw in a late 1990s soundtrack -- hello Smash Mouth!!!! -- with an interesting camera technique, and you've got a winner!

Stereotypes and cliches are based in the truth, right? Right??? The answer is 'Yes' if you were confused. 'Wait' runs with that thought, following a handful of characters that every high school has. Embry does a good job as Preston, the normal kid who is shooting for the stars with his crush, the hottest girl in school, Love Hewitt an ideal choice for the part. Facinelli is perfectly cast as Mike, the jock and coolest guy in school who can't wait to get to college and keep on partying. Wise choice in the script, Mike is humanized late -- however briefly -- before resorting back to his usual jock antics in the finale. Another key character is Lauren Ambrose's Denise, Preston's friend who is the necessary cute but antisocial girl who resents just about everything and everyone at school.

As good as all those parts/characters are, two parts stand out from the rest, Green as Kenny and Korsmo as William. Their characters? Green as the white guy trying for all he's worth to be a black guy, and Korsmo as the nerd who becomes a class hero at the party. Both parts are movie-stealers, both memorable in their own way. A rising star, Green hams it up like nobody's business as Kenny, a normal kid growing up who decides he wants to be a black guy. He treads that fine line between funny and offensive, but because he's so epically over the top in his mannerisms, it works perfectly. In his last role before leaving acting, Korsmo is a scream. His William so desperately wants revenge, but then he starts drinking.....and becomes popular, the life of the party. His two fellow nerds -- Joel Michaely and Jay Paulson -- have some very funny moments too as they wait too unleash William's plan.

Beyond those main characters, 'Wait' is noteworthy for its supporting cast from key parts to bit parts that only make an appearance or two. Jenna Elfman plays the Angel, a dancer, not a stripper, who Preston meets during his night travels. Jerry O'Connell is Trip, the former high school star returned in all his "glory." Melissa Joan Hart plays Yearbook Girl, the senior who wants every senior in school to sign her yearbook. Breckin Meyer and Donald Faison play bickering members of the party band. Not enough? Look out for Freddy Rodriguez, Erik Palladino, Jaime Pressly, Chris Owen (Sherminator from American Pie), Jason Segel, Selma Blair, Clea DuVall, Eric Balfour and even Hollywood veteran Reni Santoni.    

So with all those characters, how does the movie do them all justice in a movie that's just 101 minutes? With a few quick departures, the entire story is contained at the house party. Episodic doesn't begin to describe the storytelling technique. Some dissenters complain about the frenetic pacing that jumps around like a story on steroids. For me, it worked really well. It never focuses on one character for too long, keeping tabs on all the characters and storylines as the party develops. They criss-cross and interact, one character and story affecting each other.

It's a gem of a movie. It's got a style that never tries too hard but does enough to set itself apart from the pack. Character title cards introduce all the main players, giving us an idea in an instant who these people are. The cards are black and white, like a mug shot, and it works well. It's the type of comedic movie where all the characters get a wrap-up comment, a couple sentences appearing on-screen telling us where everyone ends up. Almost a tribute to the 1980s John Hughes comedies, 'Wait' is a gem on its own. Definitely check it out.

Can't Hardly Wait (1998): ***/****

The Italian Job (2003)

In an age of sequels, prequels and remakes, all I'm usually looking for is a new tweak. It doesn't have to be a major thing, just a difference. So how about a remake of the 1969 cult favorite The Italian Job? First, Americanize it of sorts, put together a cool cast, stylish heist, and ta-da! We've got 2003's The Italian Job!

Having pulled off an intricate robbery in Venice, Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg), John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) and their heist team manage to escape with $35 million of gold bars. But as they escape in the Alps, one of the team, Steve (Edward Norton), turns on the group and steals the gold for himself. Bridger is shot and killed and the rest are left for dead as Steve escapes with all the gold. A year later, Charlie has managed to track down Steve who's gone into hiding. He's got the heist team back together, and they're looking for some revenge. What better way than to steal their gold back? They'll need help though so Charlie recruits Stella Bridger (Charlize Theron), John's daughter and an expert safecracker.

Basically this is a remake in name only. Oh, and a team of crooks does in fact steal things while using Mini-Coopers as part of the getaway. Other than that though, it's a whole other heist movie that stands on its own. Director F. Gary Gray has modernized the story, jumping the story from a European setting to Philadelphia and Los Angeles instead. There is something simple, straightforward and appealing about this remake. Low-key isn't the right description, but 'Italian' doesn't try to rewrite or reinvent the genre. It knows where it wants to get, and it knows how it's going to get there. Is it so wrong that it is just a solid, entertaining and fun heist movie? I say that like 'Just' is a bad thing.

That comfort level in knowing where the movie hopes to end up is most evident in the actual heists. The opening robbery of a heavily guarded home in Venice is an ideal scene-setter, capping off with a high-speed boat chase through the Venetian canals. It gets the movie going at a breakneck speed immediately, and Sutherland's appearance is a very cool addition. The finale heist is again, pretty straightforward, but just as exciting. Norton's Steve is onto Charlie's plan and tries to sneak the gold out, but with three Mini-Coopers, explosives, Russian gangsters, armored truck guards, heavily armed motorcycle guards and a patrolling helicopter 'Italian' has some tricks up its sleeve right until the end.

More than the heist aspect of 'Italian,' the thing that most appeals to me about this movie is the casting. Both the good guys, the bad guys and the yet to be determined to the end, it is a likable, appealing cast. Wahlberg especially is one of my favorites, an actor who's carved a niche out for himself, playing a variation on the tough guy everyman. If it sounds like a dig or something negative, I don't mean it, but he's incredibly likable on-screen, especially as the confident high-class thief leading his team. It's also good to see Theron do just a fun movie, not a big, message movie. She fits in well with the crew, and it's the type of part that's right in her wheelhouse. And can you go wrong with a quick appearance by Donald Sutherland? Too bad it's not a larger part. Charlie's team also includes Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), the driver and all-around ladies man, Lyle (Seth Green), the tech guy and hacker who claims Napster was his own creation, Left Ear (rapper Mos Def), specialist in explosives, and Wrench (Franky G), the mechanic who rigs the cars for added weight.

Oh, yeah, Edward Norton is awesome whether he plays a good guy or bad guy. Playing the paranoid thief with $ for eyes, he doesn't disappoint. Also look for Olek Krupa as Mashkov, a Ukrainian gangster who has an interest in how the robbery develops, but no spoilers here. Not a ton to analyze about this ready-made, entertaining heist rehash, but I think that's the point. It's got action, laughs and a good dynamic among the team, especially Green impersonating Statham. Watch it HERE, it's dead-on. Just sit back and enjoy Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Jason Statham try to pull off a crazy heist. Fun from the start.

The Italian Job <---trailer (2003): ***/****