Road Trip

Directed by Todd Phillips, Road Trip follows Breckin Meyer’s Josh as he and some friends (Seann William Scott’s E.L., Paulo Costanzo’s Rubin, and DJ Qualls’ Kyle) embark on a cross-country journey to prevent his girlfriend (Rachel Blanchard’s Tiffany) from receiving videotaped proof of his infidelity. Filmmaker Phillips, working from a script written with Scot Armstrong, delivers a thoroughly erratic yet mostly watchable comedy that benefits from its affable performances, with the stars’ charismatic work going a long way towards elevating the somewhat stale material and ensuring that, at the very least, the central characters do manage to become relatively compelling and sympathetic. (And it doesn’t hurt that Phillips has elicited fun periphery performances from an eclectic supporting cast that includes Fred Ward, Andy Dick, Horatio Sanz, and Amy Smart.) It’s equally clear, however, that Road Trip‘s episodic midsection, which is compounded by Phillips’ sluggish approach to the material, results in a palpably hit-and-miss atmosphere, and there’s little doubt that certain elements contained within the proceedings are unable to make anything even resembling a positive impact. (This is never more true than in the case of Tom Green’s nails-on-a-chalkboard appearances as an unreasonably oddball fellow student.) The final result is an entirely forgettable endeavor that’s rarely the laugh-out-loud riot that Phillips has surely intended, and yet Road Trip‘s amiable vibe prevents the viewer from checking out completely at any given point.

**1/2 out of ****