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Eurotrip
Movie Review:
Gross out comedy seem to be the only domain of the American teen movie but could Eurotrip be any different? Well, no. While not the most original movie to ever grace the silver screen, Eurotrip does provide many a laugh for your hard earned cash. Coming from the producers of ‘Road Trip’ and ‘Old School’ this doesn’t really push the genre to any new levels but it does still entertain. The humour suitably placed very much at the toilet level and never raises its head above the bowl but there are times when you cannot help but laugh out loud as the hapless American students come face to face with a whole new continent. The performances from the four leads are good. Scott Mechlowicz makes his break into the big time as our leading man. He plays Scott just right as a naïve, trusting friend who never does anything adventurous until he is forced to come out of his skin and take a few risks. Jacob Pitts is ‘Mini David Spade’. The young actor is a carbon copy of the Saturday Night Live veteran right down to his hairstyle, mannerisms and voice. It is uncanny. The only difference is that Eurotrip is better than any movie David Spade has ever starred in. Michelle Trachtenberg leaves Dawn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer behind to become Jenny, the girl the boys don’t notice until she hits those European beaches. Anyone who has seen the series will know that she is a good actress but her she shows a flair for comedy. Travis Webster is good as uber-geek Jamie, who finally comes out of his shell during the trip after a visit to Amsterdam. Besides from the fours leads the movie is filled with really funny cameos. Smallville’s Kristin Kreuk is girl who breaks Scott’s heart and a brilliant Matt Damon is the man she leaves him for. This is an excellent comic term by Damon and he really looks the part as the lead singer of a rock band. Xena herself Lucy Lawless plays a Dutch dominatrix and surprise, surprise Vinnie Jones plays a English football hooligan but the joke is that he is a Manchester United fan with a really broad London accent. Joanne Lumley also makes an appearance as a manager of a youth hostel. Eurotrip might not be the most original movie in the teen gross out comedy genre but when are they ever. There is enough here to keep you pleasantly amused for the duration and with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments there is more to like than dislike about the film. Now where is my passport.
Star Rating = * * * This freewheeling romp has just enough knowing humour to keep us laughing. But only if we're able to make fun of Americans abroad! It's a rowdy mix of American Pie/Porky's comedy, sharp observational jokes and zany characters that push the boundaries of every stereotype imaginable. Really, the only things missing are Jennifer Coolidge and Kim Cattrall! After a humiliating dumping by his slutty girlfriend (Smallville's Kreuk), Scott (Mechlowicz) struggles to regain his dignity during his high school graduation festivities. In a drunken stupor, he insults his German e-penpal Mieke (Boehrs), who he thinks is a guy; so when he realises she's actually a hot blonde he decides to head to Berlin with his goofy pal Cooper (Pitts) to sort things out. But the journey is hardly straightforward; they connect with their friends, the twins Jamie and Jenny (Wester and Trachtenberg, all grown up since Harriet the Spy), for adventures in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava and Rome before they finally catch up with Meike. The filmmakers take a kitchen sink approach, throwing in anything that might get us laughing--goofy slapstick, madcap cameos, sniggering sexual antics, inane nudity and lots of humiliation. And they seem to know what they're talking about! The funniest bits involve either severely incorrect comedy (a laceratingly daft sojourn in Eastern Europe) or astute jabs at insular culture. And some of the general silliness (Damon's cruel rock-star turn) is quite hilarious. What doesn't work are elaborate set pieces like the strained "The Pope is dead, long live the Pope!" climax, which seems belaboured and uninspired. And while some stereotypes nail their targets (Lawless' Dutch dominatrix), others are sadly under-imagined (Jones' football hooligan). It's also strange that they leave one of the best bits (Lumley's youth hostel "welcome" speech) for the closing credits. But at least the central foursome are engagingly good fun to travel with, as each has several outrageous mini-adventures all their own. And every bit player gives it their all to keep the energy level high enough to carry us through. Rich Cline To be perfectly honest I can’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as when I saw the film, “Eurotrip”. Memories of last year’s “Scary Movie 3” or maybe the first “American Pie” or maybe it was as far back as “There’s Something About Mary”. With the sunset of the “gross-out” comedy genre upon us I was ready and willing to say goodbye to the genre as a whole. Then this little gem appeared. The story is quite simple. Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) has been learning German over the internet with pen-pal Mike for a while now. After Scotty is dumped by his girlfriend (Kristin Kreuk), his friendship with Mike transcends to a different level when Scotty discovers that his pen pal is actually a girl named Mieke (Jessica Boehrs). The crazy thing is that just seconds before he dumped Mieke thinking she was a guy. Scotty scrambles to find a way to Europe to finally meet Mieke face to face and confess his love before it’s too late. Scotty may need a little help from his friends Cooper (Jacob Pitts), Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Jamie (Travis Webster) if he is to complete his quest. Can Scotty make it there in time? “Eurotrip” is hysterical because it doesn’t know when to stop as it antes up each time with a bigger gag. And in a genre of sex romps, crazy prank and insane antics you couldn’t ask for anything more. I am sure there will be some scenes that are offensive to some but could make others howl with glee. Sure the film is riddled with clichés, stereotypes, caricatures and crazed nudists but you must think of the kind of film we are talking about here. I really enjoyed the performances from all the film’s leads. Each one displays a sense of innocence but at the same time you know you were one of those characters once upon a time. I especially have to admire the performance of relative unknown, Scott Mechlowicz. With this being his first starring role, you would never guess because this kid is incredible. The best thing to do to enjoy this film is find a way to get involved with these characters and watch as they get into every outrageous thing one after another. If you loved the “American Pie” films or “There’s Something About Mary” or even Chevy Chase’s Vacation films then there is something here for you. Probably the funniest funny-bone-numbing movie-stealing scene of the film involves the gang at the Vatican. I haven’t seen a scene that flawless or hilarious in a really long time. People will be talking about and remembering that scene for a long time to come. It will probably go down the same as that hilarious “Seinfeld” or “Family Guy” scene you still can’t get out of your head. I still laugh to myself every time I think of it. “Eurotrip”
was a surprise and a blessing as we are locked in the dead
of winter. So warm up that car and get ready to send your
funny bone into spasms. This is probably the funniest movie
this year. Site Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film owners of Eurotrip and intellectual copyright holders of the movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise & storyline. |
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