Film Reviews

Sex Drive

• Rating:
• Director: Sean Anders
• Starring: Clark Duke
• Details: US / 109mins (16)

With its vulgarity, humour and heart, Sex Drive could have been this year's Superbad, but its reliance on American Pie gross-out gags means 2007's comedy smash is still THE teen comedy to beat. Awkward Chicago high school senior Ian (Zuckerman) has been chatting online with cheerleading babe Ms. Tasty (Katrina Bowden), who's gagging to meet him. One problem, though: she's 500 miles away. Ian isn't going to let a small matter of distance, lack of transport and money get in the way of losing his virginity and, arranging a date, Ian runs the gauntlet by stealing his jock brother's (Marsden) car and hitting the road. Along for the ride is horny best mate Lance (Duke) and platonic friend Felecia (Crew). Basically, Sex Drive is The Sure Thing 2009 (parallels can be drawn with the recent Road Trip too, but the girl-along-for-the-ride gives the nod to John Cusack's 1985 odyssey). It's funny - sometimes even funny as hell - with Marsden's homophobic lunatic a real surprise, but it's when it tries to be too wacky that Sex Drive comes undone. That isn't the fault of the three leads, whose chemistry throughout prove to be the winning factor when the gross-out gags get a little stale. For the guys, there's an ample quotient of bosoms and upskirt to enjoy; for the girls, there's... a sensitive guy in the lead role (sorry, that's the best I could do).

Review by Gavin Burke