National Lampoon Presents Barely Legal DVD Review:

Many teen comedies flirt with the idea of making adult films. The Girl Next Door went so far as to make the audience believe that the lead character actually had made a pornographic film, until the very end when we find out that it was something much more wholesome than that. As much as films usually flirt with this idea, few actually go the distance and have the characters we are supposed to be cheering for actually finish the films. Barely Legal is not afraid to push the limits of what the “heroes” can do before the audience stops rooting for them. It is actually done in a way that might have worked if the audience had been rooting for the lead characters to begin with. There is no time to care about the characters, because if that were done then people would lose interest before any of the real reason they rented the film appeared on screen.

When three virgins find that they are unable to break out of their status in high school, they decide it is time to start doing something about it. They come up with a plan to make a porno for virgins that is made by virgins. With the help of fake I.D.s and a teacher’s unknown contribution, the three guys set out to film what they have only dreamed about. There are a few speed bumps on their path when the most popular guy at school finds out and wants to be a part of the film, when a new girlfriend (Amy Smart) threatens to tear the guys apart, and when the porn king of the town tries to shut them down, but they are determined to succeed.

There isn’t a lot to the plot, which would lead you to believe that they are leaving room for plenty of scandalous action, but it never quite works out that way. For some reason the film never pushes the limits at all. The topic is quite taboo, but the amount of time actually spent dealing with it is so minimal that it ends up looking as watered down as many of the teen sex comedies do these days. In the seventies these films were getting more and more risqué, and a few years ago it looked like they were making a comeback, but for some reason they are all a great deal tamer lately. There is even a body double used for the lead in the porno, who never actually gets naked. This may seem like a small thing, but if it not the reason for watching the film, then there really is no reason.

The DVD has a very convincing cover. None of the actors are completely seen on the cover, but you might say that they show their best sides just the same. The menus are decent and there are all of the usual bells and whistles to make watching the film more enjoyable. There are even a few extended scenes, but they don’t show much more than the final film, so don’t think that there will be tons of goodies despite the tame film.



Ryan Izay