Film #142 - Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Viewed May 22, 2006
Not Another Teen Movie is one of the increasingly numerous films that are parodies of comedies. This one, obviously, tackles the “teen comedy” genre made famous by the “American Pie” series and its ilk.
The problem is, the genre is so outrageous and over-the-top to begin with, there is little room for proper parody. Also, the filmmakers make the common mistake of directly referencing the parody rather than let it flow naturally. “I am the token black guy. I’m just supposed to smile and stay out of the conversation and say things like: ‘Damn,’ ‘Shit,’ and ‘That is whack.’” says one character. It would be better to just actually have him say nothing by ‘Damn’, ‘Shit’ and ‘That is whack’. Spelling it out ruins the joke.
The cast is pretty good, but many have done better work. Chris Evans (the jock) uses the same swagger to better effect in Fantastic Four (2005). Jamie Pressley (skanky cheerleader) is brilliant on My Name is Earl, but does nothing original here. Randy Quaid (the drunken father) phones in his performance. Chyler Leigh (the pretty / ugly girl) is appealing and does help hold the film together somewhat, but it isn’t enough to save the film.
There are some good jokes in Not Another Teen Movie and the cast is certainly talented and gives it their all. But, ultimately, there’s just not enough here to allow the movie to hang with the better film parodies. If you like these kinds of comedies, it’s worth watching, but it’s not one that will stay with you.