Spring Break

Page 18 •Thursday, February 26, 2004 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Pendulum Please not another teen trip: ‘Eurotrip’ fits the format Sean Hennen Tagging along for the ride is best that the flops Reviewer friend Cooper (Jacob Pitts) who is dissolve from Review present at Scott’s side merely to memory so fast You can see the studio pitch- enjoy “all the cr^.y European sex.” they barely reg meeting for “Eurotrip” as clear as pieces go, and still pull just enough Along the way they meet up with ister. A veritable day. A group of business execs are sentiment from its fre.sh-faced leads, their high school chums, fraternal smorgasbord of sitting around a table trying to passing for a film with a heart. twins Jenny and Jamie (Michelle European decide how best to once again tap Tlie central storyline of Trachtenberg and Travis Wester, stereotypes, the the vast demographic of American “Eurotrip” doesn’t really meet the respectively) who join in the rau film tackles teenagers in a post-“American Pie” criteria of a real plot, but it tries so cous mayhem. crazed British wasteland. hard. Priinary protagonist Scott The movie is entirely comprised soccer fans, One of these sharp execs (Scott Mechlowicz) is dumped at of the comedic hijinks that arise nude beaches, declares, “I’ve got it! ‘Road Trip’ his high school graduation by his along the way to get to Berlin as the Dutch hash bars, did a decent amount of business girlfriend Fiona (Kristin Kreuk, of quartet of travelers hops around the Parisian street four years ago. Let’s take that prem the WB’s “Smallville”) and a night continent, hitting such famed performers and ise, recycle it for the umpteenth time of heavy drinking ensues. hotspots as London, Paris, in the movie’s Photos courtesy of movies.com and .set it in Europe! Tlie little bug In the midst of his beer-induced Amsterdam and Rome. Needless to funniest scene, gers will eat it up and we’ll laugh all stupor, Scott responds negatively to say, their boisterous adventures pro the infamous Scott Mechlowiccz leads a group o f adventurous teens the way to the bank!” Tliat is basi an e-inail from his longtime vide ample opportunity for laughter- Amsterdam .sex throughout &ie mo&ierland in "Eurotrip." cally what DreamWorks Pictures German pen-pal Mieke, who Scott inducing situations. clubs. sion with what amounts to reused has done with the release of thinks is not only male, but trying to With a movie like “Eurotrip,” it’s It’s all fun and games to an theater fodder. See it to enjoy it, but “Eurotrip,” another of these dispos hit on him. Informed the next morn practically Hollywood dogma that extent, and thankfully none of the just realize that you’re being patron able comedies that achieves ing by his younger brother that some of the jokes will work, and mildly-xenophobic humor ever gets ized. moments of genuine hilarity but Mieke is a girl’s name and that a others will fall flat on their face. too mean, but there shouldn’t be a ultimately too often lets the effort misinterpreted photograph reveals Fortunately for the writing team of moviegoer under 25 years of age Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff who doesn’t realize that the.se film show. It’s a stupid movie that’s her to be quite attractive, Scott Contact Sean Hennen at pendu- Schaffer (who also directed), the makers are yet again clearly pan smart enough to hit all the right decides to head to Berlin to track [email protected] or 278-7247. notes as far as the comedic set down this potential love interest. jokes come at such a dipped pace handling us for the price of admis- Audiences find there’s something special about ‘The Girl Next Door’ other things, is in the running for a nature. It’s hard to believe this can enjoy. This is reason enough to Blake Hinton_____________ _ competitive scholarehip during his comes from the same director who celebrate and see the movie. Reviewer ^ Review senior year. He gets a beautiful new gave us a wreck like ‘The Animal.” neighlx)r named Danielle (Elisha Also, the acting is quite good. Contact Blake Hinton at pendu- It sometimes is hard to remem Cuthbert). After a bit of humiliation Hirsch, if there is iiny justice in the [email protected] or 278-7247. ber that just 10 years ago studios tired cliches that have been used on Mathew’s part he starts going out world, will become a big star. For made teen movies with substance. hundreds of times before. Yet, the with her, but things tiike a turn for his first big, starring role he carries 'Iluit’s not to say that every teen film new film “Tlie Girl Next Door” the worse though when it turns out himself quite well and has a knack tcxlay is bad, but it seems that most refuses to fall into this trap, creating Danielle is actually an adult film for shifting between the more broad comedy to the serious parts. SPRING either focus on bathrcwm humor or a .surprisingly witty and mature teen stiir. Mathew’s life becomes very comedy. complicated when her Cuthbert has already made herself It is easy boyfriend/producer shows up. very well-known on the show “24.” The best thing is the surprisingly Here she also distinguishes herself BREAK to have low expectations well-written script. Currently, this in her first major starring role, for the film, film is lieing compared to “Risky thankfully staying far away froin BfiHfiMfSS as the plot Business,” a logical comparison. her whiny character in "24.” does spell Both films are teen flicks that rise Tlie biggest asset to this film is [X)tential dis above their genre. Also, both films without a doubt the relationship CRUISE aster if it was deftly mix drama imd gcKxi physical between Mathew and Danielle and handled comedy. Mathew and his friends. It is very wrong. The It’s interesting that the preview rare to see in this kind of film rela $ 279! film follows of Girl Next Door doesn’t reveal the tionships of so much substance. The 5 Days, Meals, Parties, Taxes high school surprisingly mature iuid dark nature movie is not Shakespeare, but it is Party With Real World Celebrities! student this film takes, especially toward the far above average. Panama City $179 Mathew end. Rarely have teen films done Of course, the movie is not per Daytona $159, Cancun $499 Kidman, anything outside the box. fect. Tow;u-d the end it takes some Ethia Award Winning Company! (Emile All the characters here iire well- big leaps of logic, but this is all real www.SpringBr8QkTrqv8i.com Photo courtesy of movies.com Flirsch) an rounded. Even Mathew’s two best ly irrelevant. Tlie point is for the Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hersh arouse audience enthusi- overachiever, friends that get involved later in the first time in years we have a smart 1-800- 678-6386 asm in the surprisingly charming "The Girl Next Door." who, among film arc given a fully rounded and deft teen comedy that anyone.

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