Hearkening back to the 80's college comedy aesthetic this movie tackles the modern dilemma of social media vs. real world interaction. Set at the fictitious Southern California State University the movie follows three freshmen boys who, struggling to overcome their high school identities, find guidance from a long-lost alum standing in as their resident adviser.
On screen you see a lot of pretty young faces and bodies (a couple of the actors are of Disney and Nickelodean pedigree) and a surprisingly diverse assortment of locations from desert to campus to beach to an elaborate data-network center.
Things begin with the usual college antics...partying and partying then paying the price. This all comes with some laughs. A lot of the gags are of the gross out variety and I have to say that despite myself I was laughing out loud at some of the absurd potty humor (particularly a case of drunken toilet bowl mix-up).
There is a love story or two for the hopeless romantics but the emotions seem to take back seat to silliness as the story moves forward towards it's internet defying climax.
The acting is all good enough with the one stand out being Mitchel Jarvis of "Keith Stone" infamy who plays the pseudo-lead Dean Slater. Jarvis brings some real gusto to his scenes with a mix of Gene Wilder Willy Wonka and Johny Depp Jack Sparrow making for a strangely transfixing character.
With their coincidentally freshman effort, Colin Sander (writer, director) and Christian Sander (writer, producer) have made a movie with all the signs of a young and enthusiastic cast and crew having fun and learning as they go along. There are plenty of little things to criticize with the story and structure, but with this kind of movie it's really not worth getting worked up over. Delivering a good dose of laughs and surprises this is worth the rental fee.
P.S. The credit sequence (though perhaps coming in a little late) is fantastic. I hope to see more of that creativity in the next Sander Bro's collaboration.
