Not that funny but a good film none the less

Rating: 7/10 (17 January 2000)

Considering the immense publicity given to the film and it's more 'noticeable' bits I was somewhat surprised to find myself not the least bit shocked by the whole thing. Sure it was funny but not laugh out loud funny, not the burst my sides laughing funny that I had expected. I actually found it to be a good film on it's own, more of a nineties spin on the old John Hughes tales of growing up and wondering exactly who you are and what you want. The fact that the main focus of the film was sex changed nothing as it more than emphasised the fact that sex is only truly great when you are with someone you love. It also placed safe sex prominently, yet subtlely, in the window. It also marked something of a radical shift in teen films by not strictly placing every one in a distinct social group (The band nerds aside). The fact that the four main characters hung around with each other despite their apparent differences made the film more realistic in my opinion than the clearly divided 'The Breakfast Club' fivesome. It was more 'Ferris Bueller's' and was all the better for it. Stifler was a truly brilliant character and I hope teen film writers take a leaf from this movie in how to deal with the 'cool, rich' male leads. To label this film a 'gross out movie' is to completely misunderstand it. I found myself agreeing for the first time ever with Leonard Maltin that it's a good film with it's heart in the right place. Not overly moralistic or totally without decency it takes a good stab at what it's really like to be an 18 year old on the brink of entering a world unlike anything they've seen before. I liked it, but not because it's got masturbatory gags or endless sex remarks, but because it dealt with issues and a context never before seen in teen movies. The one major downer about it though is that it's going to usher in a whole bunch of other teen sex comedies each going further than the one before and getting worse with it. Mark my words.