Movie Review: Project X Directed by Nima Nourizadeh

Project X
Rated R
Run Time 88mins.

Movie Summary: 3 high school seniors throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves. As the night progresses, things spiral out of control as word of the party spreads.

My Review: Project X is an adult comedy film produced by Todd Phillips of The Hangover franchise, directed by Nima Nourizadeh and written by Matt Drake and Michael Bacall who co-wrote Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and the upcoming 21 Jump Street, and spinoff to Tropic Thunder which will star Tom Cruise as Les Grossman. The film stars Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown, as three unpopular teens who decide to throw the ultimate house party, all the while documenting their degenerate but ultimately infamous ventures on camera.

With a tremendous amount of raw talent associated with this film, we prepared ourselves for an hour and half of hilarious debauchery. What ensued unfortunately was redundant - over the top - unrealistic – this would never happen to teenagers – behavior. Tapping into our own arsenal of adolescent experiences, a decent amount that included borderline criminal activities (an apology to the condo association, whose gates I broke on more than one occasion), was then compared too and examined. Bottom line, I didn’t get it. This was more girls gone wild set to an explicit soundtrack, then a film about a house party gone wrong.

What started out with potential, as the boys began to seek their way to stratospheric and epic proportions of party gods, just became too much drinking, topless women, and drugs with little story to perpetuate the adventures into something magical. Though I will admit I do like Thomas Mann as an actor, his presence in the film was the only glimmer of hope, which was eventually extinguished by the licentious appetites of his collective peers. Oh, and I might add one more thought. Don’t see this film in the theatre if you are prone to motion sickness. I teetered on the verge of nausea the entire screening due to the shaky, homemade video style of filmmaking.

In essence, I was slightly disappointed in writer Bacall, who wrote the brilliant Scott Pilgrim movie. We know he captures teenage immoral indulgence with a manner that can only be described as awesome. Yet, between producer Todd Phillips, and the lack of anything intelligently scripted in this film, Bacall and Drake dropped the ball on this seemingly simplistic notion of parents gone-boys throw a party. Though the concept is not new, the direction of teenage havoc for this film was, and not in a good way. This was a party turned riot that would in actuality; have Pasadena police pepper spraying the entire party. In the end, I left queasy and bored. I give it two stars. Project X hits theatres today March 2.

Cast and Credit:
Directed by Nima Nourizadeh
Thomas Mann – Thomas
Oliver Cooper – Costa
Jonathan Daniel Brown- JB
Dax Flame – Dax