Not Another Teen Movie Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)December 14th, 2001
NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
The wonderfully good spirited and unabashedly raunchy high jinks in Joel Gallen's NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE will have you laughing and counting. As the jokes come fast and furiously, you'll be attempting to compile a mental list of all of the teen movies that the film parodies. RISKY BUSINESS, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SHE'S THE ONE, ALMOST FAMOUS, etc. -- the list goes on and on. NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE feels like AMERICAN PIE 3, as produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (GONE IN 60 SECONDS) and directed by John Hughes (FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF). Its working title was TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT CLUELESS ROAD TRIPS WHEN I CAN'T HARDLY WAIT TO BE KISSED, which would of had trouble fitting on a marquee.
Opening with a hilarious female masturbation scene, the movie instantly serves notice that it intends to be a comedy that earns its R rating and not one of those wink-wink, smarmy PG-13 sexual comedies that have become popular with studio marketing departments. Although it sometimes goes too far over the top in order to shock -- I could do without the exploding toilet gag -- generally the movie is a real crowd-pleaser that hits its mark, causing the audience to burst into loud spasms of laughter.
The most unlikely couple at John Hughes High School, where the story is set, is Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh) and Jake Wyler (Chris Evans). Janey, whose father's beat-up pickup has DIRTPOOR on the plates, is the school's wildflower. Jake, who has FILTHYRICH on the license of his expensive, red sports car, is the school's hotshot quarterback. Or he was, until the accident. Oh, Jake wasn't hurt but... Well, we'll let you enjoy that scene lifted from RUDY without giving away the sidesplitting result.
Jake makes a bet with the new starting QB that he can turn any girl into a prom queen, even Janey. With her nerdy glasses, ponytail and paint splattered overalls, Janey might be considered hopeless. Of course, underneath she really has a killer body and a dynamite smile.
The movie gets lots of mileage through sight gags that are used briefly. Areola (Cerina Vincent), for example, is a new exchange student who is a full-time practicing nudist. You know those wacky Europeans. Another time, Janey's younger brother Mitch (Cody McMains) and his two buddies are in the boy's locker room. Hearing girls, they look up to see a sign that reads: "Vent to Girl's Locker Room: Maximum Capacity 2 Adolescent Boys." It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where this scene is going.
The school's football team is known as the Wasps, which makes the takeoff on BRING IT ON extra funny. Jaime Pressly (TOMCATS) plays Priscilla, the bitchy captain of the cheerleaders. Her vocabulary is non-stop cheerific.
The challenge is on. Which films could you identify? Drop me a line, but only if your count is at least twenty; otherwise, you're not even trying. And don't write for hints.
NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE runs 1:30. It is rated R for "strong crude sexual content and humor, language and some drug content" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, December 14, 2001. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: [email protected]
***********************************************************************
Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email? Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
More on 'Not Another Teen Movie'...
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
