When I saw the words “From the producers of "Road
Trip" and "Old
School” attached to this film, well, let’s just say
that I wasn’t filled with confidence. However, the sneak preview
of “Starsky and Hutch” was sold out, and this was the
only thing that really appealed to me at the time. So I figured “What
the hell”? It couldn’t be any worse than “Road
Trip”. Besides, “Old
School” was a fun time and this one might provide more of
the same. I was shocked, therefore, to find myself truly loving this
little film. I wasn’t always laughing until my sides hurt, but
I did have a big smile on my face for the length of the film and there
were several moments that did wring huge, gut-busting laughs from
me.
The plot of this film could fill a thimble and it’s basically
“Road Trip”
taken to an international length: a boy gets dumped by his girlfriend
and spills his woes to his online buddy Mieke. Mieke responds by professing
romantic feelings toward him, which creeps him out because he thinks
that Mieke is Mike, a boy from Germany. It’s only after sending
her an email that basically tells her to wank off that he discovers
Mieke is actually a really hot German girl. It is at this point that
he jets off to Europe, joining a pair of twin friends that are already
there and going on a zany, madcap romp to find the woman of his dreams.
Unlike “50 First Dates”,
which was cute and romantic, this one pays only lip service to the
notions of romance and seems to have sex on its mind instead, which,
I think lends itself better to the concept of comedy. Yes, the main
character is in love, but the other characters seem to want to go
to Europe due mainly to the promise of kinky, European sex. It’s
less a romantic comedy than it is an “American
Pie” sort of horny teenager movie. The thing, this film
is wittier than any film with the words “American
Pie” in the title has ever been. The characters are endearing
and rather naturalistic, and more interesting than most of those found
in the average teenage sex romp. The main character is a good-looking
guy, yes, but he actually has some charm and sincerity that is lacking
in most of the bland, teenage leading men. And his buddy (Jacob Pitts)
has a Stiffler sort of role, but makes his character less bombastic
and over the top and more laidback and, I daresay, realistic. I also
liked Michelle Trachtenberg as the girl who is basically one of the
guys (much to her chagrin) and Travis Wester as her goofy, nerdy brother.
Each of them has certain skills and strengths that help them on their
journey, which both includes and skewers nearly every European stereotype
I’ve ever known. And there are some great cameos by people you
may have actually heard of, as well. Vinnie Jones is great as an intense
soccer hooligan, Rade Sherdebaga (I think that’s how you spell
his name, anyway, he’s the Russian dude from “Snatch”)
steals a scene as a Czech local, and Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess)
has a hilarious cameo as a woman named Madame Vandersexxx. And you’ll
never believe who they got to lead a punk band in this movie, so I
won’t ruin the surprise by telling you.
There are a lot of sex-related jokes in this movie and they all work
fairly well without getting too down and dirty. Yes, you see a beach
full of men completely nude (and the movie even has the, ahem, balls
to show them in all their full frontal lack of glory) but the thing
that’s most hilarious is the fact that they are all there looking
for nude women and there are none to be found (they’ve all flocked
to a less crowded beach instead and, don’t worry, guys, there
is a nice shot of that beach as well, in all ITS full frontal majesty).
Yes, you get to see a couple going at it in a confessional at the
Vatican, but it’s not gratuitous T&A and it pays off in
a rather hilarious sight gag. There are enough breasts in this film
to satisfy the sort of person that’s coming to a movie by the
producers of “Road
Trip”, but there’s a level of intelligence and sincerity
here that makes the whole thing rather tasteful and very, very clever.
This is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long, long
time, and easily one of the funniest. There’s a gag involving
the apparent death of the pope that is sorta predictable and yet still
had me busting a gut. Even the predictable jokes in this movie work,
and that’s saying something.
Go for the breasts, go for the sly comedy, go for the fun jabs at
European culture, or go for the sincere and refreshingly low key comic
performances. But whatever you go for, you should definitely go. You’ll
have a lot of laughs, you’ll enjoy yourself immensely, and you
won’t even have to check your brain at the door.
