Why So Blu?

‘Project X’: Instruments of Destruction (Movie Review)

I had many mixed feelings going into Project X this past Tuesday evening.  Sure, I thought.  It looks like a wild and raunchy, good ole time, but where will the story ultimately go?  Being not a person to partake in such wild festivities myself in real life, I knew I would only be able to take so much before my senses eventually dull and I start to feel like I’m watching the first twenty minutes of Bellflower at 2 AM after working a 12-hour manual labor day.  But there’s a name attached to this “project’ that I guess you could say, kind of gave me a sense of proverbial hope.  That name belongs to none other than The Hangover director, Todd Phillips.  The fact that his name is attached to this “project” gave me a glimmer of shiny hope that maybe; just maybe…this might work out after all.  With his source credit, I figured the least I could do is give it an unbiased, fair try.  That’s what being a reviewer is all about, right?

The coming of age comedy film we are gathered here to talk about today is directed Nima Nourizadeh.  Interestingly enough, it’s his debut feature film, only having previously directed music videos and commercials.  How’s that for a grand opening?  Wow!  The feature stars Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Nichole Bloom and Alexis Knapp.  The premise of the film is actually quite simple (as is blaringly obvious in all the TV previews as of late)…a house party gone wrong.  But the way in which it’s captured is really the essence of the story here.  Hence, enter the found footage genre you recently saw in Chronicle.  It’s filmed through the first-person view of the cameraman observing the party in order to create the effect of the audience actually attending the out of control experience.  Does it work for this?  Let’s find out.

The plot revolves around three friends (Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown) who plan to throw the ultimate party while the birthday boy’s parents, who own the beautifully chosen estate, just so happen to be out of town for the weekend and from what I gather, are leaving the 17-year old home for the very first time over an extended time.  The father has nothing to fear.  He thinks his son is a loser.  Ha.  But wait!  There’s truth to that.  However, let’s be honest with ourselves.  Who doesn’t want to make a name for themselves when in high school?  Come on.  Get real!  Needless to say, as the guests keep arriving and arriving, things start to get a little out of hand.  The use of “a little” is an absurd understatement.  Pandemonium and absolute total chaos ensues.  Now that’s more like it!  And that house!  It’s absolutely huge!!!

The casting for this pelicula is very interesting.  In order to keep the costs down, an nationwide casting call was opened on the Internet allowing any U.S. resident over the age of 18 to audition for Project X through the official website.  It was noted that Phillips wanted unknown actors, aka real people of all ethnicities, to be given a chance at also making their feature film debut, much like Nourizadeh, huh?  Well one thing’s for sure, that’s definitely a way to keep production costs down.  You completely eliminate the agents and all the middlemen.  Bravo.  Simply brilliant…if it pays off!

So yeah…there was a one-liner I read the other day that said Project X is what happens when you marry Superbad with The Hangover.  In terms of raunchiness, over-the-top antics and sassy toilet humor, I couldn’t agree more.  But in terms of story and quality over nudity, give me a break.  Don’t get me wrong.  I had a fun time with Project X.  I really did.  I couldn’t think of a better way to watch a music video for Metallica’s “Battery.”  God, I miss that song (downloading it now).  My guest and I certainly laughed our @$$es off in many scenes (sometimes just the dirty rap lyrics were enough to elicit a smirk on my face), but it was just as I expected, Project X is a very weak in the story department (severe Act 3 problems) and delivered a very, very lackluster climax, in my opinion.  I’m not going to delve into any details or spoil anything, but if I ever did anything like these main characters did in my childhood, sure as sh1t, I would never have seen the light of day.  My parents would have killed me, and that’s no joke.  Relax Brian.  It’s only a movie.  I keep telling myself that.

So would I recommend it?  Yes, I would.  Not for us old folks, but for the kids.  I’m just kidding.  Thirty-seven years old is the new twenty-five in my book.  So let me make this perfectly clear.  If you didn’t care for the likes of Superbad, then you would be better off saving your money because otherwise you are just going to be sitting there proverbially watching paint dry.  However, if you love nothing more than over-the-top Apatow-like rude/crude humor (including the use of midgets or small people as they like to be called), naked breasts and destruction of property (ala Jack-ass style), then you fit this film’s demographics P-E-R-F-E-C-T-L-Y.  If I can be completely honest, the first person perspective of a cameraman walking around doesn’t really add anything here.  They make a couple jokes about Dax, the cameraman, but they break the rules so often (with different shots not feasible by this solo cameraman, a rogue iPhone or even the news chopper circling above), that this found footage billing is nothing more than a gimmick, much like many 3-D films are.  As my fellow reviewer Bob Ignizio said to me before the screening, and I loosely quote. “It’s about time someone used this found footage genre for something other than horror stories.”  And in my opinion, that statement also applies to the recently released superhero feature Chronicle, which is far superior to most films I have seen so far this year.  I’m just saying.