Sex Drive Movie Review

Movie Reviews by Tasha Robinson

Sex Drive Movie Review & Trailer

Sean Anders' derivative gross-out movie "Sex Drive" is easier to take if you accept that the answer to every baffling plot question is "because it's a teen sex comedy."

For instance, why is nice-guy protagonist Ian (Josh Zuckerman) still a virgin at 18, even though he's reasonably clean, social and movie-star cute?

Because he's in a teen sex comedy.

Why do the hottest girls on the planet regularly throw themselves at his chubby, bespectacled best bud Lance (Clark Duke), who looks like he's barely out of puberty? Teen sex comedy!

Why is every female in the film, apart from Ian's pretty, platonic friend Felicia (Amanda Crew), a one-dimensional sex fiend, a psycho or both? Teen sex comedy!

And why, after being too embarrassed to cooperate with one beautiful girl trying to relieve him of his virginity, does Ian think things will be different if he, Lance and Felicia drive from Chicago to Tennessee, where frequent flirty Internet chat partner "Ms. Tasty" has offered to "go all the way" with him? For that matter, because Ian has been presenting himself as a studly older football player, why would he expect his fantasy girl to accept the real him? And why would he think she isn't similarly deceiving him about her looks and intentions? See answer above.

Granted, although the plot never makes sense, it isn't intended to; it's just a loose framework for a joyously crass celebration of adolescent hormones. Most viewers will see all the major plot twists coming miles off, particularly because they're all drawn from "Risky Business," "American Pie" and the "Some Kind of Wonderful" school of John Hughes teen romances. The main plot line, inspired by a young-adult novel from Chicago author and sportswriter Andy Behrens, also closely follows "The Sure Thing."

But where the story is utterly predictable, director Sean Anders and co-writer John Morris have done their best to make the humor so outrageously raunchy that no one will see it coming. Most of it is centered on erections, urine, an old man's inadvertent testicle exposure and all the other possibilities of the male crotch.

Although the film is aimed at a narrow, young, male demographic that needs little more out of a film than humiliation comedy and naked breasts, the high energy level and the ridiculous twists, especially in the film's giddy climax, keep things lively. The film also boasts a smart, au courant visual aesthetic, with bright CGI giving Ian's Internet chat sessions a dynamic feel, and a running gag acknowledging the YouTube age, as all Ian's embarrassing moments end up on video and online.

The supporting cast tends to have the most fun. Seth Green is a standout in a minor role as a caustic, sarcastic Amish mechanic, and James Marsden throws himself into his ridiculously over-the-top role as Ian's abusive chucklehead of an older brother. But the humor is still strictly for the "Beavis and Butt-head" set.

Sex Drive - 1.5 Stars

MPAA rating: R (for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, language, some drug and alcohol use -- all involving teens).

Running time: 1:54.

Starring: Josh Zuckerman (Ian); Clark Duke (Lance); Amanda Crew (Felicia); James Marsden (Rex).

Directed by Sean Anders; written by Anders and John Morris from a book by Andy Behrens; edited by George Folsey Jr.; photographed by Tim Orr; music by Stephen Trask; production design by Aaron Osborne; produced by Bob Levy, Leslie Morgenstein, John Morris and Mike Nelson. A Summit Entertainment release.

Sex Drive Movie Trailer

About "Sex Drive"

Eighteen-year-old Ian Lafferty sets out on a cross country drive with his best friends Lance and Felicia in order to lose his virginity to a red-hot babe he met on the Internet. But the journey, filled with hilarious misadventures and raunchy escapades, turns out to be a life-changing experience when everything he thinks he knows about life is turned upside down.

Randy, raucous and unexpectedly romantic, Sex Drive follows three teenaged friends on the road trip of a lifetime. The film stars Josh Zuckerman (Lions for Lambs), Amanda Crew (The Haunting in Connecticut), Clark Duke ("Geek"), James Marsden (Enchanted) and Seth Green (Austin Powers in Goldmember), with a supporting cast that includes Alice Greczyn (Shrooms), Katrina Bowden ("30 Rock"), Charlie McDermott (The Ten) and Mark L. Young ("Dexter). Sean Anders (Never Been Thawed) directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with John Morris (She's Out of My League), based on the novel All the Way by Andy Behrens. The producers are John Morris, Leslie Morgenstein (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Bob Levy ("Gossip Girl"), with Mike Nelson serving as executive producer.

The production team includes director of photography Tim Orr (Year of the Dog), production designer Aaron Osborne (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang), editor George Folsey, Jr. (Cheaper by the Dozen) and costume designer Kristin M. Burke (The Grudge 2).

An Alloy Entertainment Production for Summit Films, Sex Drive was filmed on location in South Florida.

At 18, Ian Lafferty (Josh Zuckerman) is struggling through his last summer before college, and he can't seem to catch a break. He's taunted by his cocksure older brother Rex, shown up in the romance department by his 14-year-old younger brother and humiliated by his job at the donut shop in the mall. But Ian's biggest problem is that he's about to start college as a virgin! He's determined to rectify that before he officially becomes a freshman and his devil-may-care pal Lance (Clark Duke) is on hand to help.

A total washout out with the girl of his dreams and longtime "best friend" Felicia (Amanda Crew), Ian resorts to the Internet for dates. He soon hooks up with Ms. Tasty, a flaming hot blonde who can't wait to get busy. But there's one tiny catch: Ian has to drive 500 miles from Chicago to Knoxville to consummate the deal.

Egged on by Clark, Ian risks life and limb by appropriating "The Judge," Rex's prized vintage Pontiac GTO, for a cross-country "sex drive." With Lance and Felicia in tow, he hits the road for a one-time rendezvous that will rock his world!

But the planned eight-hour drive turns into a three-day marathon as the trio loses its way in the Heartland and ends up taking a scenic tour of Midwestern back roads. With his would-be lover growing increasingly impatient and his older brother due back from a weekend trip at any moment, Ian is in a race against the clock.

Car trouble, a stint in the pokey, a detour to an Amish farm and an afternoon at a roadside carnival all complicate Ian's journey, but it's Lance's overactive libido that really threatens to derail his plans, as Lance enters into a dangerous liaison with a loose local and hooks up with an Amish girl enjoying Rumspringa.

As Ian presses on to get to Knoxville before Ms. Tasty gives up and goes home, the trail of mayhem and misadventure that he and his companions have left in their wake is closing in on them with hilarious consequences. Will Rex find him before he reaches Nirvana? Will a cuckolded husband exact revenge on Lance just as he seems to have found true love? Will Ms. Tasty live up to her Internet profile? Will Ian realize what it is he really wants? And most importantly, Will Ian, Felicia and Lance survive the perilous road to adulthood with all its unexpected twists and turns?

About the Cast "Sex Drive"

JOSH ZUCKERMAN (Ian)

JOSH ZUCKERMAN (Ian) likes to keep his resume diverse., Prior to the comedy Sex Drive, Zuckerman co-starred in the drama Lions for Lambs, which starred Robert Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep, with Redford directing. Previously, Zuckerman had a role as Mark Webber's hard-partying friend in Ethan Hawke's film The Hottest State and co-starred as the wheelchair-bound brother of Balthazar Getty in Dimension's cult classic, Feast.

Zuckerman's other film credits include Surviving Christmas, in which he appeared opposite Ben Affleck and James Gandolfini; Pretty Persuasion, which starred Evan Rachel Wood; and the box office smash Austin Powers in Goldmember.

His diversity extends to television as well, with a recurring role in the hit ABC Family drama "Kyle XY" and a previous recurring role in the television series "CSI: Miami." Other TV credits include "Boston Legal," "Close to Home," "Stand Off" and "House."

On stage, Zuckerman starred in the one-act play "Women and Wallace" at the Actor's Lab Theater in Los Angeles, with his performance garnering rave reviews.

After making his professional debut in an ABC movie-of-the-week, "Geppetto," starring Drew Carey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Zuckerman then went on to recurring roles in ABC's acclaimed dramas "Once and Again" and "NYPD Blue" as well as a memorable role in an emotional post-September 11th episode of NBC's "The West Wing."

The youngest of five children, Zuckerman began acting at the age of 10 at the Los Altos Youth Theater in Los Altos, California. In addition to pursuing his acting career, Zuckerman has been attending Princeton University.

AMANDA CREW (Felicia)

AMANDA CREW (Felicia) recently had a starring role in The Haunting in Connecticut opposite Virginia Madsen and Elias Koteas, directed by Peter Cornwall. Her previous film credits include Final Destination 3 and She's the Man, which starred Amanda Bynes.

On television, Crew has spent the last two years starring as Carrie Miller in The N network's hit series, "Whistler." Recently, Crew won the 2007 Leo Award for Best Lead Female in a Dramatic Series for her role in the show, which is set in the high society winter playgrounds of North America.

Born and reared in Langley, British Columbia, Crew began her career in acting when she was cast as a regular for two seasons on the teen series "15/Love." Her other work on television includes recurring roles on the ABC series "Life as We Know It" and the WB/CW institution "Smallville."

CLARK DUKE (Lance)

CLARK DUKE (Lance) makes his feature film debut in Sex Drive but he quickly followed it with a starring role in the upcoming A Thousand Words, opposite Eddie Murphy.

Duke is best known as the co-creator of the web comedy series "Clark and Michael," which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in alongside his friend and comedy partner Michael Cera, star of Superbad. This landmark series, which lampooned their characters' efforts to write and sell a television show, made many "Best Of" lists in 2007, including those of Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. "Clark and Michael" continues to enjoy massive popularity all over the world and has established Clark Duke as a creative force to be reckoned with.

Duke has also made his mark in television with the role of Dale in "Greek," the hit ABC Family comedy series. Duke has also done multiple voices on Seth Green's hit "Adult Swim" program on Cartoon Network, "Robot Chicken."

A native of Hot Springs, Arkansas, Duke is also a talented musician who has launched an L.A. band with Michael Cera. Duke has a diverse slate of upcoming projects as a writer, actor, director and producer.

JAMES MARSDEN (Rex)

JAMES MARSDEN (Rex) has enjoyed success in a wide range of films that have swiftly earned him a distinctive place in Hollywood. Most recently, Marsden starred in the box-office hit 27 Dresses, a romantic comedy in which he played opposite Katherine Heigl.

Previously, Marsden received rave reviews for his starring role in the blockbuster Enchanted, alongside Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey and Susan Sarandon. A romantic fable mixing live action with CGI animation, the Kevin Lima-directed film earned a Best Family Film nomination at the 13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards.

Marsden also had a starring role in Adam Shankman's box office hit Hairspray, which featured John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken. Marsden played Corny Collins, the host of the TV dance show. Hairspray earned multiple award nominations, including Critics' Choice Awards for Best Acting Ensemble, Best Comedy Movie and Best Family Film, as well as a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Ensemble.

Marsden recently wrapped production on Richard Kelly's psychological thriller, The Box, in which he stars opposite Cameron Diaz. The film is based on a classic Richard Matheson short story, "Button, Button."

Marsden also appeared in Superman Returns, opposite Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Frank Langella, for director Bryan Singer.

Marsden's film resume also includes playing Cyclops in the X-Men trilogy, The Notebook, The Alibi, Disturbing Behavior, 10th and Wolf, The 24th Day, Sugar and Spice and Interstate 60.

Among his notable television roles as the character Glen Floy on the final season of the Emmy-winning series "Ally McBeal," created by David E. Kelley.

SETH GREEN (Ezekial)

SETH GREEN (Ezekial) After Sex Drive, Green will be co-starring with John Travolta and Robin Williams in Disney's comedy, Old Dogs, scheduled to open in theatres April 10.

Green and Matthew Senreich exec produce/direct/write (with Green doing 35 - 60 voices each week) Robot Chicken, created for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. The sketch parody stop-motion animation show has earned great reviews and record ratings. Robot Chicken: Star Wars, the show's first special, is currently nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Animated Program and earned Green this year's Annie Award for directing. It was released on DVD and immediately became the top-selling TV show on DVD.

Green garnered raves for starring in Paramount's Without a Paddle, The Italian Job and the indie film, Party Monster. He starred in all three of New Line's record-breaking Austin Powers films. He co-starred in America's Sweethearts and had starring roles Rat Race and Knockaround Guys and Can't Hardly Wait in an attention-grabbing role as Kenny Fisher, a white homeboy. If you're a Woody Allen fan, Green was the lead, a young Allen, in Radio Days.

Green is also making new episodes of Family Guy (as son Chris Griffin), Fox's animated comedy series. He and Hugh Sterbakov created The Freshmen, a comic book series for Top Cow.

Green is currently directing Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II, which airs November 16th at 11:30 PM on Adult Swim and will feature Carrie Fisher reprising her role as Princess Leia, Billy Dee Williams and Ahmed Best from the original Star Wars films.

Entertainment Weekly previously named him Best TV Actor and E! Entertainment Television's poll proclaimed Green the hottest young actor in Hollywood. He's equally popular among critics and fans. He has numerous other films and many previous television series to his credit including Four Kings, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Greg the Bunny.

ALICE GRECZYN (Mary)

ALICE GRECZYN (Mary) has had roles in the studio films Fat Albert, The Dukes of Hazzard, Sleepover and the independent feature An American in China.

Greczyn is best known for her role on the NBC series "Windfall." Most recently, she completed a seven-episode arc on the ABC Family drama "Lincoln Heights." Other notable television credits include recurring roles on Fox's "Quintuplets" and the Disney Channel's "Phil of the Future."

KATRINA BOWDEN (Ms. Tasty)

KATRINA BOWDEN (Ms. Tasty) currently stars in NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy "30 Rock" as Liz Lemon's (Emmy Award winner Tina Fey) flighty assistant, Cerie. Along with the rest of the "30 Rock" cast, Bowden was nominated for a 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

An honors student from Wyckoff, New Jersey, Bowden has starred in many commercials but received her big break after dancing in the chart-topping rock band Fall Out Boy's hit music video "Dance, Dance." Bowden went on to appear on episodes of the TV series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and the daytime drama "One Life to Live."

In the film world, Bowden most recently appeared in the forthcoming feature releases National Lampoon's Ratko: The Dictator's Son, directed by Savage Steve Holland, and The Last Film Festival, opposite Dennis Hopper.

She has also appeared in a We Are Scientists music video directed by Emmy Award winner Akiva Schafer (the "D*ck in a Box" sketch on "Saturday Night Live").

CHARLIE McDERMOTT (Andy, emancipated minor)

CHARLIE McDERMOTT (Andy, emancipated minor) most recently had a supporting role in Frozen River, the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner. His other film credits include The Ten, in which he starred opposite Jessica Alba, Adam Brody, Gretchen Mol, Oliver Platt, Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder and Liev Schreiber; All Along, in which he starred alongside Krista Allen; and Disappearances, co-starring Luis Guzman and Kris Kristofferson.

McDermott began his professional career with a strong role in M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, in which he starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Pitt and Brendan Gleeson.

MARK L. YOUNG (Randy)

MARK L. YOUNG (Randy), a relative newcomer to feature films, appears in the forthcoming releases The Lucky Ones, opposite Rachel McAdams and Tim Robbins, and Adam Sherman's Happiness Runs.

Born in Washington, Young started acting when he was 9. Upon relocating to Los Angeles at the age of 12, he began his professional career with a small role in two episodes of the critically acclaimed HBO series "Six Feet Under." Immediately following that was another small role in two episodes of "The O.C." Since then, Young has made significant appearances on such shows as "Cold Case," "ER," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "CSI: Miami."

In 2006, Young gained widespread notoriety for his role in Showtime's critically acclaimed series "Dexter" as Jeremy Downs, a troubled teen who spent years in juvie for murder. He now has a recurring role on the popular HBO series "Big Love."