PROJECT X REVIEW...

 

It is a little late in the year to catch up with this one but it’s time to address this teen movie once and for all.

The ingredients of a high school party are as follows:

• A house with no parental supervision.
• Three outcasts who want to fit in desperately enough to sacrifice one of their homes to a mob.
• Under-age drinking.
• Drugs
• Some light to heavy fornication
• Music with highly inappropriate lyrics

It’s not a very hard mix to screw up. But Thomas, Coster and JB are VERY desperate to fit in. So they go the extra mile, or rather Coster does, to make Thomas’s birthday party the most incredible thing ever witnessed. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated the power of word of mouth. So their idea for a wild party, where they all get “some”, turns into a neighborhood rave complete with flame throwers, ecstasy, anti-riot police, news helicopters and testicle punching midgets. And all of the mayhem is documented in film by the fourth in the merry band of outcasts Dax.

First of all, this is hopefully the last of Hollywood movies to bare this “found footage” look. Although it does wonders for the movie when combined with Warner Brother’s production values, it has become a taxing concept on the audience worthy of retirement. Secondly, it did not ACTUALLY happen despite the disclaimer in the opening credits of the movie. This was all well-orchestrated movie chaos by Warner Brothers. Thirdly, this concept has been unsuccessfully replicated in the United States leading to property damage to the tune of millions. The replication process is conducted by teenagers and college students who are stupid enough to think that they could manage the madness if it actually erupts. They were not.

That being said, the movie is actually a good story with an excellent linear pattern. The lads make an impressive depiction of the high school group dynamic. There’s a normal one, Thomas, who is happy where he is but the devil on his shoulder, Coster, will not shut up about how sad their lives supposedly are. Finally, there is the REAL outcast JB who is more or less a parasite feeding off the normality of his counterparts. The movie also has very effective shock value. Even though it is just a movie, there are various scenes where I found myself begging for sanity to resume before things turn dark (it never did). Finally, even though it is a “teen movie” it has a very realistic feel giving the impression of possibility. But stupidity like this should NEVER be replicated no matter how well intentioned.

       

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