I really don't know what posseseed me to go and pay 10 bucks to go see Project X. The trailer for the movie underwelmed me and frankly the subject matter is pretty unrelatable. As a teenager I was pretty squeaky clean in regards to alcohol or drugs. I was too involved in sports and video games to worry about "getting laid". I think that I have probably been drunk maybe once in my life. I dont have any high moral beliefs against drinking, but I grew up in a family that never drank so it really never interested me. That being said, I really do enjoy well made party movies. Animal House, Weird Science, Can't Hardly Wait, and Superbad are just a few party movies that I can remember that have made me laugh. I guess when its all said and done I figured perhaps Project X would fall into that category. I also wanted to get out of the house and it's one of the few movies my friend Aaron and I could agree on. We were both terribly wrong.
The movie begins fairly predictable as you are introduced to three teens who are looking to make their mark at their school by throwing the Ultimate party. There is one teen that is the shy likable one whose parents are going out of town and leaving the house to him to be responsible(Risky Business). The second kid is a dorky fat kid who is clumsy and is desperate to get laid before the conclusion of this epic party. Finally and most annoyingly the last member of this group is a loud obnoxious Jewish kid who is the catalyst for the whole party and chaos that ensues. His character is trying so hard to be the Jonah Hill character from Superbad but fails miserably because you instantly hate this guy. The movie starts off with them trying to score drugs for the party which is pretty typical for this kind of movie. They score some pot from a psychotic fellow in a really bad part of town and end up pissing him off by stealing a garden gnome out of his house. The whole sequence is just borrowed from other films and just feels unoriginal.
The party finally starts and people begin filing in and of course it begins to get out of control. I will save you from all the details but primarily the scenes are mostly naked women, hardcore drinking, and a midget that punches everyone in the crotch. Perhaps it's my age and perhaps it's because I'm a father now but none of this was entertaining. I actually just think it's lame filmmaking. I saw Superbad a few years back and thought it was great. I think this movie just glamorized drug use a little too much. There's a scene in the movie where the Garden gnome breaks and it is revealed that it's filled with ecstasy. The entire party begins taking the pills and thats when the party becomes ridiculous. There is also a scene where the Jewish kid is pushing the shy one into taking a pill. The scene just was uncomfortable to watch. The movie really felt like an advertisement for drug use and perhaps i shouldn't overanalyze it but when I was watching Superbad I felt like the drinking took a back seat to caring about the characters. This movie the drugs and alcohol are the stars.
The ecstasy changes the party into a full fledged riot where believability takes a back seat. There are riot police, a pissed off drug dealer with a flame thrower torching the entire neighborhood, and just a bunch of nonsense. The whole neighborhood gets trashed and the main characters house is destroyed. Perhaps the most ridculous thing happens at the end where the parents come home and the dad is talking to son and basically shows admiration because he didn't think his son had it in him to throw a partly like that....Really? My dad would have murdered me...The icing on the cake was the lack of moral message. All of the kids were basically rewarded for destroying a whole neighborhood, drinking, and hardcore drug use. I'm sure none of the audience will go out and try to imitate some of the things in this movie. Yes I know there a lot of party movies that end this way but the ridiculousness of the events and the drug use was presented in a way that was just morally wrong. It wasn't a movie about kids being wacky and blowing off steam, it was a movie about obnoxious criminals who got away with being jerks.
I don't think I have to tell you if I recommend this movie. The funniest thing about the movie experience actually wasn't even in the movie. The movie theater that we went to was carding all the kids going into the theater. My friend and I who are obviously 17 or older (I'm 39 and he is 36) came up the usher and he asked my friend for his ID....I then went up to the usher and he just told me to go through.....I was relieved I didnt have to get my license out but then though....HEY!!! I guess i just dont pass for a 17 year old anymore....lol. Anyway avoid this movie at all costs. It's not funny or clever and I should have just stayed home that night. Rent Animal House or Superbad.
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