July 26: EuroTrip

"Dumped by his girlfriend, a high school grad decides to embark on an overseas adventure in Europe with his friends."

Directed by: Jeff Schaffer, Rated: R, 93 minutes 

I love EuroTrip and probably always will. There's just something about it, be it my own desire to travel Europe, the appeal of a crazy night in Amsterdam, or seeing Matt Damon "sing" one of the greatest songs of all time with "Scotty Doesn't Know". The movie is simply fun, blending a good amount of raunch and heart. Sure, the whole film's plot is about a guy traveling halfway across the world to get laid (in his defense, she is hot), but EuroTrip is much more than sex-crazed, adventure-seeking teenagers...well, kind of. I really don't know why EuroTrip hasn't left as much of a mark as other comedies but I can only assume that it got swept under the rug because of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, a lesser film (in my opinion) that came out around the same time. 

This song will plant itself into your mind. 

EuroTrip tells the story of Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz), a high school graduate whose girlfriend dumps him at the ceremony. With a life he had planned out with her in shambles, he decides to make his way to Europe in hopes of meeting his German pen-pal. After Scotty realizes that his friend is actually a smoking hot girl, and not the burly German man he thought she was (there's a name misunderstanding), Scotty turns his escape to Europe into a quest of love (and a lot of kinky sex). Of course, a life-changing "vacation" can't be experienced alone, and Scotty brings Cooper (Justified's Jacob Pitts), and meets up with "the worst twins ever", Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Jamie (Travis Wester). The group makes their way all throughout Europe, visiting the United Kingdom, France, Germany (Berlin!), Amsterdam, Rome, and somewhere in Eastern Europe, running into football hooligans, dominatrices, Miami Vice fans, and green Absinthe fairies. The movie plays on every European cliche most Americans believe, but does it without insulting as much as it does parody. The entire thing is just enough ridiculous that it's never too unbelievable, as much as it is a trip worth remembering. 

Oh, there's also a fight with a mime/robot outside of the Louvre. 

I genuinely love this movie and think it's one of the funniest films I've seen. It's full of crazy situations, great settings (most filmed on location), and shows how hot Harriet the Spy grew up to be. It's also very original, which is pretty rare when it comes to comedies. EuroTrip is just too much fun to not recommend and while it has plenty of flaws, it's mindless enough without being too stupid. I apologize that this review's a little shorter than most because I had been driving across country throughout all of last night and today (which was a lot less entertaining than this movie). Overall, I would definitely recommend EuroTrip. I know I'm still waiting on my hormone-driven trek across another continent. 

The Good:

good fun, played up cliches, and hilarious (yet awkward) situations 

The Bad:

wondering why this film hasn't developed as big of a following as I feel it deserves

The Ugly:

being reminded that I haven't left the United States and wondering when I'll ever be able to "see the world"

Overall: 7.7/10

Trailer: