Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Vulgar teen sex comedy lacks verve and vision.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sex Drive
What's the Story?
Ian (Josh Zuckerman) is a high school virgin in love with his best friend, Felicia (Amanda Crew). But she might have the hots for someone else. Besides, Ian's been keeping Internet company with a "sure thing." (No coincidence there; SEX DRIVE's basic plot has an awful lot in common with the John Cusack classic of the same name.) A girl he only knows by her Web name, Ms. Tasty, promises to have sex with him if he drives down from Chicago to Knoxville to meet her in his stylin' 1969 Pontiac GTO. Ian's womanizing friend, Lance (Clark Duke), thinks it's an offer he can't refuse. But here's the catch: It's not really Ian's car -- it belongs to his older brother, Rex (James Marsden), who's ferocious, fearsome, macho, and loves his car more than his family.
Is It Any Good?
This sometimes-hilarious but more often woefully unwitty comedy does have some appeal. Marsden, for starters. Who knew he had it in him to play comically deranged? His bearing, his cackle, his utter commitment to being totally, horrendously foul -- it's perfection. And then there's Zuckerman, who plays the awkward, self-conscious, sensitive teen to a T. In the end, viewers do actually care a little bit whether he ends up with the right girl. And, as a snarky Amish mechanic, Seth Green hits a home run every time he has a line (sadly, his appearance is much too brief).
But honestly, that's pretty much it. Because though director Sean Anders aspires to Judd Apatow-ian (is that a word?) greatness, he doesn't display Apatow's keen ability to separate the offensive from the outrageous. Instead, what we get is crass, gratuitous, gross-out humor flecked with too few moments of pure comedy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the consequences of underage drinking. How realistic is what happens to the teen characters in this movie? What do you think would happen to them in real life if they got drunk? Families can also discuss whether the film portrays teens -- and, by extension, teen life -- accurately? If so, how? What issues does the film address? Was Ian's decision to drive so far to tryst with a stranger adventurous or foolhardy? What about his intent pursuit of losing his virginity? Why is it so important to him? Is that realistic?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 15, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : February 24, 2009
- Cast : Amanda Crew , James Marsden , Josh Zuckerman
- Director : Sean Anders
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Summit Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 108 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong crude and sexual content, nudity, language, some drug and alcohol use - all involving teens.
- Last updated : October 10, 2021
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