Risky Business for a new generation

Rating: Null/10 (26 March 2004)

Caught a preview screening of this last night. I admit there are moments that had me laughing a LOT. But there were also two key parts that I felt were weak and detracted from the overall film. If you like comedies about high school graduation high jinx this one won't disappoint you at all. If you are expecting a cerebral comedy there is very little of that here.
The plot is very similar to Risky Business. Missing is the Reagan-era back-stabbing overtones replaced here with general thuggery. The Girl Next Door also contains homo-erotic moments that Risky Business would never have gotten away with in the conservative '80s.
The two leads do a great job with the material they are given. Elisha Cuthbert is indeed fantastic... a fact that 24 has not yet fully exploited. Here we get to see more of her AND more of her talents. Never once did I say.. "Hey look! It's Kim from 24! Watch out for that cougar!" (However there were parts when I wanted someone to mimic Rebecca DeMournay's famous Risky Business line "I want to make love on a real train"... the two films are THAT similar in tone.) Emile Hirsch is a talented kid that I had not heard of before. He does a great job here and his comic timing (already very good) should be excellent someday.
The film is filled with a bunch of secondary characters all played by worthy actors who do great jobs bringing more than stereotypes to life. There are some great tunes in the soundtrack... promising a nice CD collection I'm sure and the cinematography and other production values all get high marks. -Mattro