How deep and profound a critical analysis am I expected to dive into for a movie like Project X? Seriously, the film is a low-grade, found footage flick about three high school losers who set out to throw an epic house party (and do), as a means of claiming a shred of popularity.
There are enough booze, boobs, and barbiturates to fill three seasons of a MTV reality show, let alone this 88-minute romp. The marketing materials have likened Project X to Superbad meets The Hangover. I don’t necessarily think that’s fair. Project X, far more than those other films, is completely aware of how fucking absurd it is. Which, dare I say, adds to its ingenuity.
Is the film ridiculous? Of course. Is it completely illogical? No doubt. But, at times, it’s also fun as hell. Worthy of an $11 admission price? God no. Something to watch while pregamming with your friends before you hit the town? Why not.
It’s Thomas’s birthday, but it’s also his parents’ anniversary, which is why Thomas’s best friend, a beyond annoying little pissant named Costa, plans to throw Thomas a party while his parents are away.
They invite everyone they bump into at school, Costa sends e-mail and text blasts, puts commercials on radio stations, you name it. Needless to say, the party takes off in a major way. Fifty people turns into 200 turns into 1,000. DJs are spinning in two separate rooms, girls swim naked, ecstasy is devoured by the handful, liquor is gulped by the gallon, a small dog is shotgunned a few pulls of weed – you get it.
And this is how things more or less go for the film’s center 50 minutes. Some of it is funny, most of it is too much. When the party hits its peak, the cops finally decide to show up, only to leave after Costa owns them with some legal mumbo-jumbo. The next time the cops arrive, they are in SWAT gear and a deranged drug dealer is decorating the neighborhood with a flamethrower.
So, yes, Project X is complete bullshit, void of any stretch of realism (which, I suppose, is the exact opposite of the ungodly useless found footage narrative device). In reality, the cops would’ve busted the party up by 10 p.m., long before the news helicopters and the floating dog and the testicle-punching midget and the sunken Benz ever showed up or occurred.
Idiocracy defines Project X. But it’s also what the film embraces. Do with that information what you will, but if you liked the trailer, then you’ll dig the movie. Me? I really enjoyed the soundtrack, so that counts for something, right? D+
This is the first un-scathing review I've read of the film, which is interesting, because most people seem to think it's the fucking antichrist and one of the worst, most ignorant movies ever made. God knows I have no plans to see it.
ReplyDelete@TylerYeah most people are ripping it apart, and for good reason. It offers nothing whatsoever to the medium of cinema, or to your general well being. But it did make me laugh a few times, and the soundtrack was fucking amazing. D+ still ain't positive.
ReplyDeleteWas your positive comment about the music serious? This movie was filled with LMFAO garbage and was one of the reasons I hated the movie so much. You like that crap?
ReplyDelete@James Do I like LMFAO? Fuck no. But I do enjoy electronica, indie rock, some techno, and some rap.
ReplyDeleteDre, Eminem, the XX, Kid Cudi, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem - all solid bands/musical artists.
And I enjoyed the way it used old school rap (2 Live Crew, Salt n Pepa, Trick Daddy, Dead Prez, etc.) for humor.
If you click that link on the soundtrack, you can weed through the shit and find some solid stuff.
I also thought Project X wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out (I gave it a C actually) and agree that the trailer doesn't lie about the movie.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what others were expecting going into it, but unless you are a film critic I don't see why others were seeing it after the Trailer if that's now what they were into.
While very slow at times I thought it entertained me well enough that I'm happy enough to so stick up for it.
And @James the music was fine, quite enjoyed hearing 'Heads Will Roll' amongst others.
That's the shit I like.
ReplyDeleteI fucking hate LMFAO or whatever their fucking name is. I did like that Bruce Springsteen/Neil Young cover of Sexy and I Know It.
I won't see this film. I never went to house parties in my high school years because I hated high school and a lot of those kids. This won't change a damn thing.
@Alex Thomas Yeah man I'm in complete agreement with you - no clue why anyone would see this movie unless they specifically wanted to. Oh and the Heads Will Roll and Pursuit of Happiness remixes were definite soundtrack highlights for me.
ReplyDelete@thevoid99 I detested high school as well, and the only house parties I went to were the ones I threw, so I agree with you all the way. Yes, LMFAO sucks dog balls, but some of the music used was on point.
ReplyDeleteI have no interest in seeing it, but what an awesome review - "long before the news helicopters and the floating dog and the testicle-punching midget and the sunken Benz ever showed up or occurred." My God, that sounds insane! :)
ReplyDelete@Sati. Haha yeah there is a little too much going on in this flick, but some of it is amusing... until it isn't.
ReplyDeleteSound ok to me, the trailer looks kinda like fun so glad to see the review isn't as bad as all the others. Might catch this on DVD but won't say you didn't warn me!
ReplyDelete@Pete I agree with Alex, this movie, based on its trailer, in no way sets up any pretense for what it is. So I have to give it some credit for not misrepresenting itself. The trailer is loud and silly and fun and ridiculous. And, well, so is the film.
ReplyDeleteThe only think that I thought was too much - the fucking flamethrower guy.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if that really happened, I actually don't care.
If you take that out of the picture, you just have 1k+ teens with too much shit laying around. Ofc retards will act retarded. It isn't that of a fucking good time.
You want crazy fucking parties? Get a history book and try to have your own fucking slaves having an orgy for you whilst the wife is fucked in the milk bath.
They aren't even able to through a party better than the romans, Don't get me started on the babylonians.
Too many douches in 80 minutes.