Pretty much everything has been done before in teen sex comedies and the creators of Sex Drive know it. To counteract the expected clichés they have reversed the roles of a few of the stereotypical characters and intensified the vulgar events, but sadly we’ve seen this story, these characters, and these gags before. More often than not it’s still funny, but any originality has been all but lost.

Ian is the typical, awkward too-nice-guy desperate to lose his virginity before going off to college. Felicia is his best friend since childhood who he secretly hopes will become more than that. Lance is the scoundrelous bad boy that all the ladies love. When these three misfits embark on a reckless road trip to Tennessee with the plan for Ian to sleep with a sexy and mysterious girl he met on the internet, the trio will inevitably encounter all manner of chaos from an unimaginable array of eccentric characters.

The characters introduced throughout Sex Drive are the epitome of cliché – there’s the nerdy protagonist desperate to lose his virginity, the pretty girl best friend who he secretly loves, and the suave ladies’ man who will show him how to get the girl. There’s even the ruthless older brother Rex (think Stifler) who antagonizes and embarrasses young Ian at every turn. The big difference with Sex Drive is that the actors chosen for each role don’t match the preconceived appearances for these types of characters. Ian doesn’t look nerdy enough, Lance doesn’t look suave enough, Felicia isn’t laid back, and even Rex doesn’t always come across as intentionally wicked. This contrast of looks with character traits provides both a unique take on the genre and a harder grab for believability. When the short, fat kid with glasses is the one that can woo any girl with ease, one has to wonder if this intentional stereotype reversal is confusing, refreshing, or inspiring. At least Seth Green is there as backup with his always uproarious sarcastic Amish mechanic.

The R rating is a welcome sight as it allows the comedy to reach even more risqué and adult heights (and perhaps appeal to a bigger audience), but the gross-out humor does just that – provoking disgust from the viewer in ever bigger doses as each gag outdoes the last in an inverse proportion of laughs to vulgarity. For every bizarre, unexplored and ultimately hilarious predicament introduced (Mexican donut costumes, Amish shindigs, abstinence pledges) there is an equally overused and rehashed concept (rebellious road trips, crazy hitchhikers, extreme male nudity). Sex Drive does have its inventive moments, but with all the repetitious jokes scattered throughout, one has to wonder if they’ve seen this all before.

- Joel Massie

Check out the EXCLUSIVE Interview with Director Sean Anders here!

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