Sex Drive

Herald rating:

* * *

Verdict:

Raunchy, ridiculous and at times hilarious road movie for those just eligible to get their licence.

Adolescent boys will get the most out of this bawdy teen comedy.

Sex Drive

is a modern day, over-the-top mixture of films such as

American Pie

and

Road Trip

.

Filled with sexist and homophobic jokes, toilet humour and cringeworthy sexual encounters it may be, but underneath the bold, brash humour

Sex Drive

is also a sweet story, a romance between two shy 18-year-olds looking for love in all the wrong places.

Josh Zuckerman is perfectly cast as Ian Lafferty, an 18-year-old geek whose approach to losing his virginity is to travel nine hours across country to have an encounter with a woman he's met only on the internet, who calls herself Ms Tasty.

Ian considers backing out on the arranged date, but his cool friend Lance (Clark Duke) convinces him to steal his brother Rex's (James Marsden) prized possession, a Pontiac 1969 GTO, and hit the road for this now-or-never opportunity.

Also joining them on the road trip, accidently, is Ian's best friend Felicia (Amanda Crew) who has a secret crush on Lance. Car trouble ensues, and it quickly becomes clear this going to be anything but an average road trip. A highlights package would include: Lance having kinky sex in a trailer park, Ian getting a hard-on at an abstinence rally, attending an Amish party filled with drunk, flirty naked Amish girls ... and a short stint in the slammer as well.

Sex Drive

starts off with a hiss and a roar and there are some very funny moments, thanks to Marsden's charged-up performance, but soon the film settles into a more predictable rhythm where the gags fall flat, and the sleazy high-jinks are just ratcheted up to keep our attention.

The film is saved by solid performances from Zuckerman and Crew. As the only nice, vaguely normal people in this film you do find yourself caring just a little for them, and it's an interest in them that keeps you grinning and grimacing throughout the madness.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

Josh Zuckerman, Amanda Crew, James Marsden

Director:

Sean Anders

Running time:

110 mins

Rating:

R16 (violence offensive language, sex scenes)

Screening:

Hoyts, Berkeley and SkyCity Cinemas