'Sex Drive' coasts on cheap laughs
In the mood for a raunchy, gross-out road comedy about sex-crazed nerds and nervous virgins on the loose?
Or a movie that tries to make amends for its dumb-but-calculated plot and trashy gags with a heartwarming climax in the Judd Apatow vein?
Maybe your cup of tease is "Sex Drive," which is pretty bad, but better than you might imagine, thanks to a lively cast and a top cinematographer (Tim Orr, of David Gordon Green's movies).
On the other hand, if your expectations for this one are low, you'd be right.
In this brainlessly cheerful beer-fest, college-bound geek Ian (Josh Zuckerman) steals his macho-man homophobic brother Rex's (James Marsden) vintage Pontiac GTO for a Chicago-to-Knoxville ride with his pals, glib seducer Lance (Clarke Duke) and Ian's real crush, stalwart Felicia (Amanda Crew).
The three endure endless foul-ups and an Amish orgy so Ian can hook up with the hot Internet babe Ms. Tasty (Katrina Bowden).
Why? How? Ms. Tasty has declared herself ready to de-virginize desperate Ian, who has been posing on the Web as a hot-talking football stud.
Yarggh! Ptooey! The actors are not bad (especially Duke, and Seth Green as an Amish hipster) and the cheap laughs keep coming.
But director-writer Sean Anders aims so low that, when he hits his targets or his target audience (indiscriminate teens and twentysomethings), it's like watching a boxer beat up a blind man.
And, given the level of the humor, including roadkill jokes, toilet humor and Internet sex gab (with a peek-a-boo shot at an old man's privates), I'm surprised that no blind men were hired here and beaten up. (They do offer us a bash-a-small-animal gag.)
This shameless geeks-and-babes farce may give you a chuckle. But, you'll probably feel bad in the morning.
"Sex Drive"
Rating: 1½ stars
Facts: Starring: Josh Zuckerman, James Marsden, Seth Green, Amanda Crew
Directed by: Sean Anders
Other: A Summit Entertainment release. Rated R (drug and alcohol use, nudity, sexual situations, language). 108 minutes