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adamwatchesmovies · 3 years

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Bad Trip (2021)

How many stars is a big laugh worth? Bad Trip contains several chuckles and about three instances where you’ll threaten to wake the neighbors. It also pales in comparison to Borat Subsequent MovieFilm or any of the Jackass movies.

When Chris (Eric Andre) spots his high school crush, Maria (Michaela Conlin), he finally musters up the courage to ask her out. Unfortunately, she’s on her way to New York for an art gallery opening. Determined to get the one who got away, Chris convinces his best friend, Bud (Lil Rel Howery) to steal his sister’s car and hit the road. As they stumble from one misadventure to another, criminal Trina (Tiffany Haddish) begins catching up.

Like Subsequent MovieFilm, this is a hidden-camera comedy with a story, which makes it the cinematic equivalent of a sofa bed. There are good gags, particularly at the beginning when we - and unsuspecting participants - are shown just how rough a day at work can be and how bad at his job Chris can get. The scene at the car wash is so good you kind of wish you could see it play out two, three more times (which will make you grateful for the end credits, which show outtakes and people's reactions once they learn it was all filmed). As the pranks become more elaborate, you begin wondering how much of this was "real" vs. scripted. An impromptu musical dance number early on, for example. It kind of works in the movie but when it was being shot you can tell there wasn't music playing so it was just a bunch of people being goofy in public. Not exactly primo material.

If we focus on the plot, Bad Trip leaves a lot to be desired. It’s essentially an excuse to get Chris and Bud from point A to point B. That's it. Like in “The Impractical Jokers Movie”, you're left unsatisfied. Then, you notice the blatant continuity errors. One moment, Chris’s pants are drenched with "urine", the next they’re bone-dry. Obviously, the shots have been re-ordered or came from two different nights. That realization kills the momentum completely. Your mileage on the more elaborate gags will also vary wildly. How does “Raped by a gorilla” sound?

In addition to anything story-related feeling artificial, one other element feels a little… off. Fooling a little kid is not on the same level as "getting" an adult. I don’t want to seem insensitive but from the reactions Conlin, Howery, and Haddish generate, it often feels like they’re a bit mean-spirited because their victims don’t have solid heads on their shoulders. What I’m trying to say is that the movie often feels like it’s punching down, rather than up. Not that you necessarily have to, but in a post-Borat world, we want more substance from films like this.

Bad Trip is a fine showcase for the improvisational skills of its stars. It has a fair number of memorable laughs, enough to make you mostly forgive that it doesn't go far enough into the outrageous or stupid to be something special. (March 31, 2021)

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netflixcenter · 3 years

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🎬 Bad Trip [TRAILER] Coming to Netflix March 26, 2021 FULL POST: 🔗 https://netflixcenter.com/bad-trip-trailer-netflix/?feed_id=481 Original Netflix Comedy Prank Show... Bad Trip Real pranks. Real People. Real Movie. From one of the guys that brought you Jackass and Bad Grandpa, this hidden camera comedy follows two best friends as they go on a cross-country road trip full of hilarious, inventive pranks, pulling its real-life audience into the mayhem. Bad Trip ...

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