I thoroughly enjoyed this film. No single performance stands out. This film captures and completes it's purpose, which is love at first sight. Young love at first sight that is. Too many times today can this simple concept be manipulated into something that it is not. Excellent dorky, nervous, yet cute and very endearing portrayal by Devon. Scout remains beautiful, and grounded, while remaining sweet and sincere.I love how they are such opposite sides of the spectrum within the film, yet find they relate way more than they initially thought (without revealing any spoilers of course). Overall, I think this is a fine romantic comedy. With great supporting roles, and an overall puppy love feel, this is one of the best of the genre I have seen in a long while.
13 Reviews
A cute RomCom
sauravjoshi8510 February 2019
Sweet story; actually a decent Hollywood version for once.
paul_haakonsen26 November 2010
Alright, another Hollywoodnized version of something that was famous abroad. But honestly, this time Hollywood actually managed to pull it off well enough. Usually I am not keen on the Hollywood attempts to cash in on famous movies from outside the US; like they did on "Ringu" (The Ring), "Rec" (Quarantine), "Infernal Affairs" (The Departed), and the list goes on and on.
I grew up with the actual book by Dennis Jürgensen (titled: "Kærlighed Ved Første Hik"), yeah I am from Denmark. And the book also spawned a Danish version, and five sequels as well, which I now wonder if Hollywood will covert into American version as well. Regardless, this Hollywood version of the book/Danish film was actually good, and it had all the essentials from the former.
The story is a sweet love story with teens, and there is a good amount of embarrassing moments in it and at times you will be laughing out loud. I especially love the doorbell scene, it is awesome. And Scout Taylor-Compton, playing Anya (though her name is Anja in the Danish versions), actually looked a lot like the woman playing her part in the Danish version, so that was kind of cool. And Devon Werkheiser, playing Victor, actually looks a lot like a friend of mine back from my teen years, so that was hilarious.
The cast in "The First Time" (or "Love at First Hicup", if you will) was actually good and put on good performances. However, I found the guy who played Anya's dad to come off a bit like he wasn't in it with his heart. I forgot his name, sorry about that.
Having seen this American version actually made me want to pick up the Danish book and read it again. Always cool when you get to relive your early years, and this movie made me want to go back in time. So, I think this movie is worth checking out, because it has a sweet, romantic story to tell, and you will be thoroughly amused and entertained throughout the entire movie.
I grew up with the actual book by Dennis Jürgensen (titled: "Kærlighed Ved Første Hik"), yeah I am from Denmark. And the book also spawned a Danish version, and five sequels as well, which I now wonder if Hollywood will covert into American version as well. Regardless, this Hollywood version of the book/Danish film was actually good, and it had all the essentials from the former.
The story is a sweet love story with teens, and there is a good amount of embarrassing moments in it and at times you will be laughing out loud. I especially love the doorbell scene, it is awesome. And Scout Taylor-Compton, playing Anya (though her name is Anja in the Danish versions), actually looked a lot like the woman playing her part in the Danish version, so that was kind of cool. And Devon Werkheiser, playing Victor, actually looks a lot like a friend of mine back from my teen years, so that was hilarious.
The cast in "The First Time" (or "Love at First Hicup", if you will) was actually good and put on good performances. However, I found the guy who played Anya's dad to come off a bit like he wasn't in it with his heart. I forgot his name, sorry about that.
Having seen this American version actually made me want to pick up the Danish book and read it again. Always cool when you get to relive your early years, and this movie made me want to go back in time. So, I think this movie is worth checking out, because it has a sweet, romantic story to tell, and you will be thoroughly amused and entertained throughout the entire movie.
Like a Nickelodeon movie with unfunny raunchy humor.
meaninglessbark1 November 2011
The best thing about Love at First Hiccup (also titled as The First Time) is that anyone who appreciates good movies will know within the first five minutes that it's a terrible movie. Unlike an indie film which might take you a half an hour before to realize it's not worth watching, Hiccup/First Time lays its cards on the table right away with shallow characters, lousy dialog, and horrible jokes.
Hiccup/First Time has the acting quality and production values of a movie made for Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel. It might seem that this was the film's target market except Hiccup/First Time has a sprinkling of crass lines and R rated language which seem particularly stupid in a movie that's less entertaining than an episode of iCarly.
The one bright spot in Hiccup/First Time is Ray Wise whose performance as the father of the main character's object of desire is excellent. Wise provides the only moments worth smiling at. But Wise's very small role can't help a film which is mostly obvious, boring, or makes you embarrassed to be part of the same species that would make a movie like Hiccup/First Time.
Hiccup/First Time has the acting quality and production values of a movie made for Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel. It might seem that this was the film's target market except Hiccup/First Time has a sprinkling of crass lines and R rated language which seem particularly stupid in a movie that's less entertaining than an episode of iCarly.
The one bright spot in Hiccup/First Time is Ray Wise whose performance as the father of the main character's object of desire is excellent. Wise provides the only moments worth smiling at. But Wise's very small role can't help a film which is mostly obvious, boring, or makes you embarrassed to be part of the same species that would make a movie like Hiccup/First Time.
Extremely, painfully bad!!
rlambert-482-2179164 October 2012
There comes a time when this type of movie needs to stop being made, like ten years ago. How many new ways can you redo high school angst? I was home sick with a sinus infection and this was on Showtime. I actually wanted to get up and go to work this movie was so bad. I watched the whole thing only because I really believed it had to get better, it did not. The parents of both Victor and Anja were so unbelievable that I thought even if parents like that existed, I would run away from home if they were mine. I'm assuming their medicine cabinets must be brimming with xanax, anti-depressants, vicodin, ambien, etc to make them so passive and stupid.
Like Any Train Wreck, You Can't Look Away
vincentcrusifix9 March 2012
Love At First Hiccup seemed like a very good movie when I saw the trailers for it. It seemed like it would be like a classic, wholesome family movie, specifically generated for kids. Unfortunately I was wrong. This movie has all the right things in all the wrong places. The pacing is horribly sporadic, the acting is harshly unforgiving, the filming looks like it was done by the two kids in the movie who -are- filming a movie, and it seeed that they could never figure out who their intended target was, and ended up alienating all except those who enjoy awkward and perverse humor, The trailers made it seem like a kids movie, it was overly vulgar, with way too much reference to sexual activity, and acceptance of it as a culturally acceptable past time...This is officially not a kids movie. I don't remember laughing even once during this entire movie. If the main character had acted the same way he did in his Nickelodeon TV show, I think it actually could have been kind of cute. Unfortunately, he did not, instead making every scene he was in awkward, which, occasionally is OK as it was an intentional thing, but every scene, even when he is with his friends is just ridiculous and doesn't make him seem cute so much as simply annoying. None of the characters had any appeal to them AT ALL, and some of the 'humor' relied too much on people's stupidity for even a kid to think 'Ooh that's realistic and funny because they didn't notice what was right in front of their faces or look to the side for a moment since no character in this movie has any peripheral vision..' All in all, this movie was a chore to watch,and I would have graded it lower, but I figured I'd give it a little bit of credit for being like any gruesome train wreck and not letting me take my eyes away until the end, and I will admit that it did have a few cute moments.
Not as expected
louisevaa-217-41005620 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Being Danish and having grown up with the original version, which was very popular at a time, I was kind of looking forward to this American version, as they tend to be a lot better than the movies produced in Denmark. But after seeing it, the only thing a felt was disappointment. The characters seemed to young and it just didn't seem to have the same wow-effect as the one I remembered from the Danish version. Basically everything about this movie seemed wrong, besides the young age of the characters, everything you love about them has been changed. Any a is not the same confident girl that I expected and victors brother, just seem vulgar instead of somewhat charming and so on. Just the Small things that made the original movie great, has been changed in a way that do not work very well. This was a big let down.
It kind of works as a teen comedy but also doesn't
breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com19 April 2022
Growing up and maturing into an adult can bring on a multitude of feelings. Hormones are raging and everything is changing at a faster rate than normal as this process happens. Of course most adolescence experience this as they go through the education system; learning from their parents, friends and their own senses. One particular actor that many could relate to during this period of time was Devon Werkheiser from Nickelodeon's Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Young adults were proud to be a part of and go through the motions with Werkheiser's star making show. After the show ended, Werkheiser still had that image of playing a school kid. Here this film plays more into some adult themes which is good, except for how its executed. That's probably the biggest issue with this production.
Directed by Barbara Rothenborg in their first theatrical film and co-writing with Foren Frellesen, this is actually the remake of a Danish movie of the same name from a decade before. Based on a novel from Dennis Jürgensen, the Danish version actually has several sequels. The story is about a geeky freshman Victor (Devon Werkheiser) having an unrealistic crush on a taken senior in his high school Anya (Scout Taylor-Compton). Anya is with a pompous jock named Peter (Ken Luckey) and is friends with Marisa (Tania Verafield). Victor's only got his unhelpful buddies Ernie (Nicholas Braun) and Nick (Sean Marquette). Meanwhile, Victor and Anya's little brothers Zack (Daniel Polo) and Brian (Adam J. Bernstein) play pranks on both their siblings because family stereotypes. Victor's problem is that he doesn't have the confidence to talk to Anya, and when he does, he gets hiccups.
At the same time, Anya hopes to lose her virginity to someone she finds truly special. At the moment she's not sure if Peter's the one. The biggest red flag in this story is Anya's character arc. Not sure what the legal age of consent is for the people of Denmark but in the US, a senior in high school, who should be 18, looking to fornicate with anyone younger than them is a no. Why couldn't Victor and his friends also be geeky seniors in high school? That would be one less counter against this film. The story itself is also fairly cliché. What teen drama hasn't depicted a down on their luck rejected protagonist that somehow pulls all kinds of stops to get the attention of their ever so out of reach love of their life? There isn't really much to go into how things occur because a familiar viewer of this genre could guess how most scenes that are set up will go.
It's unfortunate because there are some interesting actors attached to this project. And because this is a comedy, there is going to be dialog that's supposed to be funny but not much of it is. Most of it just strange in how it's executed or just completely nonsensical when thinking about how it makes any logical sense. The characters of Zack and Brian are the worst little brothers and are actually quite crass. Also their moms and dads are even worse as parents. Perhaps the conversations between Victor and Anya's friends respectively are more in line with what viewers would expect from those particular characters. But the others just seem a little too out there. Despite all this though the cast of actors perform the best they can given the material. Being that Devon Werkheiser came from Ned's he naturally fit the bill.
Scout Taylor-Compton at the time just got off playing in Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009). There's also appearances from James Eckhouse, Ann Cusack, Octavia Spencer and even Ray Wise, who by far is the most entertaining even if he shows up only once and a while. The cinematography was adequately shot for the production. Handled by Steven Bernstein who also worked on The Waterboy (1998), Monster (2003) and White Chicks (2004), the shots filmed fit the right scene even though it won't blow anyone's mind. Lastly the music by Raney Shockne worked for the film too. By no means should any viewer think that a score would be available because it wouldn't seeing that it's no blockbuster production. Overall though the cues work with the scenes even if they aren't memorable.
The actors all do what they can, the music is appropriate for the style of the film as well as the camerawork. Unfortunately, the writing is not strong enough though. The premise is an awkward setup dealing with differing legal ages, the dialog feels a bit out of place and the story itself has been done many times before.
Directed by Barbara Rothenborg in their first theatrical film and co-writing with Foren Frellesen, this is actually the remake of a Danish movie of the same name from a decade before. Based on a novel from Dennis Jürgensen, the Danish version actually has several sequels. The story is about a geeky freshman Victor (Devon Werkheiser) having an unrealistic crush on a taken senior in his high school Anya (Scout Taylor-Compton). Anya is with a pompous jock named Peter (Ken Luckey) and is friends with Marisa (Tania Verafield). Victor's only got his unhelpful buddies Ernie (Nicholas Braun) and Nick (Sean Marquette). Meanwhile, Victor and Anya's little brothers Zack (Daniel Polo) and Brian (Adam J. Bernstein) play pranks on both their siblings because family stereotypes. Victor's problem is that he doesn't have the confidence to talk to Anya, and when he does, he gets hiccups.
At the same time, Anya hopes to lose her virginity to someone she finds truly special. At the moment she's not sure if Peter's the one. The biggest red flag in this story is Anya's character arc. Not sure what the legal age of consent is for the people of Denmark but in the US, a senior in high school, who should be 18, looking to fornicate with anyone younger than them is a no. Why couldn't Victor and his friends also be geeky seniors in high school? That would be one less counter against this film. The story itself is also fairly cliché. What teen drama hasn't depicted a down on their luck rejected protagonist that somehow pulls all kinds of stops to get the attention of their ever so out of reach love of their life? There isn't really much to go into how things occur because a familiar viewer of this genre could guess how most scenes that are set up will go.
It's unfortunate because there are some interesting actors attached to this project. And because this is a comedy, there is going to be dialog that's supposed to be funny but not much of it is. Most of it just strange in how it's executed or just completely nonsensical when thinking about how it makes any logical sense. The characters of Zack and Brian are the worst little brothers and are actually quite crass. Also their moms and dads are even worse as parents. Perhaps the conversations between Victor and Anya's friends respectively are more in line with what viewers would expect from those particular characters. But the others just seem a little too out there. Despite all this though the cast of actors perform the best they can given the material. Being that Devon Werkheiser came from Ned's he naturally fit the bill.
Scout Taylor-Compton at the time just got off playing in Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009). There's also appearances from James Eckhouse, Ann Cusack, Octavia Spencer and even Ray Wise, who by far is the most entertaining even if he shows up only once and a while. The cinematography was adequately shot for the production. Handled by Steven Bernstein who also worked on The Waterboy (1998), Monster (2003) and White Chicks (2004), the shots filmed fit the right scene even though it won't blow anyone's mind. Lastly the music by Raney Shockne worked for the film too. By no means should any viewer think that a score would be available because it wouldn't seeing that it's no blockbuster production. Overall though the cues work with the scenes even if they aren't memorable.
The actors all do what they can, the music is appropriate for the style of the film as well as the camerawork. Unfortunately, the writing is not strong enough though. The premise is an awkward setup dealing with differing legal ages, the dialog feels a bit out of place and the story itself has been done many times before.
As I write my very own first review...
Kirinatsu9027110 August 2010
i think to myself that the most important thing is an answer on question 'Will I get sucked in this movie, by this movie?' And the answer is, hell yeah! In my case, time flew by, that's how dynamic this film is, especially in comparison to what we've seen lately. And to depict at least a little bit of context for the readers - I'm 20 y old.
Plot isn't that original(I'm referring to genre/theme, not to Denmark version), rather one of many variations, but it's fresh and 'feel good', dialogue could be better but it doesn't seem forced at anytime. Characters are good, some even excellent, like Anya's(Scout Taylor's) dad Roger(Ray Wise)(type of dad we'd all like to have, wouldn't we?), even though he doesn't have big role, and hilarious little Zack(Daniel Polo) too.
As for the 'protagonist and his lovely lady', they exceeded expectations. Victor(Devon Werkheiser) did a good job picturing his role, and Anya as the story progresses(even though in the beginning I thought she's not attractive at all) makes you at least a little bit infatuated with her because, even though she's not stereotype beauty that we see in movies like this, she's really charming.
I'm glad that now this film has at least 1 review, it deserves it.
Plot isn't that original(I'm referring to genre/theme, not to Denmark version), rather one of many variations, but it's fresh and 'feel good', dialogue could be better but it doesn't seem forced at anytime. Characters are good, some even excellent, like Anya's(Scout Taylor's) dad Roger(Ray Wise)(type of dad we'd all like to have, wouldn't we?), even though he doesn't have big role, and hilarious little Zack(Daniel Polo) too.
As for the 'protagonist and his lovely lady', they exceeded expectations. Victor(Devon Werkheiser) did a good job picturing his role, and Anya as the story progresses(even though in the beginning I thought she's not attractive at all) makes you at least a little bit infatuated with her because, even though she's not stereotype beauty that we see in movies like this, she's really charming.
I'm glad that now this film has at least 1 review, it deserves it.
Bad movie
blossomdacat23 March 2022
Its bad. Completely changed the name of many good characters in the danish version. Many good and iconic lines were changed and cut out. Its probaly a good movie if you havent watched the danish or read the book but as a danish person who has read the book and watched the danish movie this movie is bad.
Total, incurable, epidemic of Anya-itis
torrentstorm25 August 2010
I remember when I was 17 years old, I fell in love with a girl who mesmerized me, with a lovely face, freckled nose and cheeks, a smile that could make you soar all the way to heaven, lovely, full bosom, and full hips that could make you wish you could wrap your arms around and never let go. Perfect, shapely legs I couldn't keep my eyes from. Yes, that was my 'Anya-itis', even though her name was not Anya.
She didn't love me, though, although we were very fond of each other. There was another boy she fancied, a bit older than I, who, sadly, ended up dumping her. By then, I had moved away, and those pleasant dreams had faded. Pity. But with her domineering mother and my domineering mother, we would never have stood a chance anyway.
However, I must agree with reviewer yeatsforkeats. Even though this is a teen love story, it isn't tiring or boring or stupid like so many others we've seen lately. I don't actually like viewing stupid, teen, movies. Seeing, though, how refreshing this one seemed to be, I decided to give it a chance, and I am glad I did. It was worth it. The whole movie is rather predictable, but somehow, you don't get bored or irritated with it, wondering where this is going, or where and when it will end.
I have never seen the girl that plays Anya before (Scout Taylor-Compton), or the boy that plays Victor. But she made me wish I were Victor's age again. Victor, innocent and a bit of a nerd, learning for the first time what love is about. Makes you wish things could stay that innocent when you grow up. Anya, more a woman than he is a man, of course, behaved like an intelligent girl, going for the guy that was laying all he had at her feet, instead of the rich boy who owned an expensive sports car and was only after sex. Both kids were lucky they had understanding parents too. There were a few things here and there that seemed a bit far fetched, but perhaps it would be better to let you judge these for yourself. Were Victor's hiccups due to nervousness, insecurity, or something else? I couldn't quite decide, but seeing how he got kisses from Anya to help drive them away, I stopped mentally debating the subject. You decide when you view it.
So, did I enjoy the movie? Yes! Would I watch it again when in the mood? Most definitely. Just watching those coy looks Anya gave Victor makes it all worthwhile. You'd wish you were in Victor's shoes, and that is no exaggeration.
She didn't love me, though, although we were very fond of each other. There was another boy she fancied, a bit older than I, who, sadly, ended up dumping her. By then, I had moved away, and those pleasant dreams had faded. Pity. But with her domineering mother and my domineering mother, we would never have stood a chance anyway.
However, I must agree with reviewer yeatsforkeats. Even though this is a teen love story, it isn't tiring or boring or stupid like so many others we've seen lately. I don't actually like viewing stupid, teen, movies. Seeing, though, how refreshing this one seemed to be, I decided to give it a chance, and I am glad I did. It was worth it. The whole movie is rather predictable, but somehow, you don't get bored or irritated with it, wondering where this is going, or where and when it will end.
I have never seen the girl that plays Anya before (Scout Taylor-Compton), or the boy that plays Victor. But she made me wish I were Victor's age again. Victor, innocent and a bit of a nerd, learning for the first time what love is about. Makes you wish things could stay that innocent when you grow up. Anya, more a woman than he is a man, of course, behaved like an intelligent girl, going for the guy that was laying all he had at her feet, instead of the rich boy who owned an expensive sports car and was only after sex. Both kids were lucky they had understanding parents too. There were a few things here and there that seemed a bit far fetched, but perhaps it would be better to let you judge these for yourself. Were Victor's hiccups due to nervousness, insecurity, or something else? I couldn't quite decide, but seeing how he got kisses from Anya to help drive them away, I stopped mentally debating the subject. You decide when you view it.
So, did I enjoy the movie? Yes! Would I watch it again when in the mood? Most definitely. Just watching those coy looks Anya gave Victor makes it all worthwhile. You'd wish you were in Victor's shoes, and that is no exaggeration.
Better Than One Might Think
David_Brown2 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I basically found this film channel surfing, and much to my surprise liked it. Is this an Oscar winner? Not even close. But it is an intelligent teen comedy, with real people (Not moronic parents ((n particular, Ray Wise, the father of Anja(Scout Taylor- Compton)), and it has the understanding that teens will sleep together, but just because they do, does not have to mean multiple partners, or pregnancy. It is about Sophomore Victor who loves Senior Anja who is without question out of his league. She is basically above him in popularity and class status, and it is not even close. But Victor is someone who someone who treats her with friendship, and decency, and ends up winning her heart (There is one scene where he takes her on a romantic boat ride, complete with old fashioned music (My gut tells me her dad paid for it, because he taken the time to know his daughter so well (her likes and dislikes), he feels Victor would be ideal for her). I like the part (Spoilers) where her father asks him about if he carries a rubber and instead of going crazy, respects his honesty, and the fact that he does, and the father explains what it is like trying to win an older girl (Anja's mom), and what must be done to not only accomplish it, but make it work. In the end, they do end up sleeping together (The first time either sleeps with anyone), but it is a lot more than "Puppy Love." It is strongly suggested that these two are each other's soul mate, and will remain together, despite the difficulties they will face going forward (Particularly Anja assuming she goes to college, and is known to be dating a high school student). But, the fact it is remake of a Danish film, where they get married in a sequel is additional evidence that they make it work. It is better than one might think. 9/10 stars
No matter what you refer to it as, it's a decent film
StevePulaski29 October 2011
Love at First Hiccup a truly a harmless and enjoyable film. The cast is lively, the script hits almost all the right notes, and the plot works for the most part, though sometimes becoming hokey and unbelievable. For a Direct-to-DVD underdog, it isn't half bad. And sometimes, that's all that can be said.
Devon Werkheiser is the lead, who is most famous for his role as Ned Bigby in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. That was a show about guiding someone through middle school. Love at First Hiccup could work as the R rated film as Ned in high school falling in love with a girl who is out of his league. The only thing it is missing is the so-called "tips" from the Television series.
The series wasn't bad, but it surely wasn't as good as Drake and Josh or Zoey 101. The big problem being the realism of it. The show's goal was to try and get the viewer through a day of middle school, avoiding as many problems and brick-walls as possible. Most of the time, the characters weren't in class and did things real people couldn't do (IE: Ned had a friend that periodically came up with weird, cockamamie technology creations). Other problems sometimes stemmed from the tip themselves. I'll never forget one episode where Ned continues to get "pants-ed" at school, and at one point tells the viewer "If you don't like getting pants-ed, try wearing a janitor's outfit." This caused me to think "is this show one complete joke?" The word of advice was used as an actual tip, but who in their right mind would come to school wearing a one-piece janitor's outfit? From there on out, I also imagined the characters had a certain smugness when giving out these "helpful" tips.
As for Love at First Hiccup, it plays like a raunchy, R rated Nickelodeon film. If you were to modify various four letter words into something of a family nature, took out sex dialog, and made the plot about getting a first date or a first kiss rather than the first time our character and another girl hit the bed than this could've truly been a PG rated film for the kiddies. Even the production qualities are no better than say Fred: The Movie or Gym Teacher: The Movie, other Nickelodeon-produced films.
The story concerns an early Freshman named Victor (Werkheiser) who, in his third day of school, immediately eyes and falls in lust with a Senior named Anya (Taylor-Compton) who is vastly out of his league. She, of course, has a boyfriend who drives a nice muscle guy, and persuades her to let him take her virginity before graduation. Victor hates the boyfriend, and wants Anya to be his first so they both can share the same experience.
Premise wise, the film is cute and plucky while silently incorporating an unexpected raunch-element. This sort of reminds me of College, which starred Nickelodeon-raised actor Drake Bell. It was strange to see him out of the Nickelodeon setting, and free to say whatever he pleased. Frequently, he dropped the f word, and the same thing goes with Werkheiser in this film. It's not bad, but it takes some definite getting used to. I would've loved it if the character Victor took a minute to break the fourth wall and say something like "If you want to get in a girl's pants, don't forget to wear a condom." The story's subplot is that Anya's younger brother and Victor's younger brother are good friends, and are in cahoots to make a film banking off of Victor's desperate attempts to sleep with Anya. It's cute, but stretched to the furthest length of plausibility. Same goes with Anya and Victor's relationship. It's so odd to see a Senior so inviting to this dorky Freshman. Maybe four years of high school taught patience, but the believability is low when you see her tolerance is high.
We also never hear too much from either side's friends. We see Victor's two dweeby pals, and we see one or two of Anya's girlfriends, but none of them ever greatly effect their decision-making. The character development for both leads is nice, but it's strange we don't get friendly advice anywhere in the film.
There is very little to complain about with Love at First Hiccup, accept granted it does have some minor realism problems. It's a cute, coming of age comedy-drama, and that's good enough. It's blatant because of its lead character's ambition to have sex at a young age, and on that note, it can be relatable for some people going through that phase. I also think this should get some hefty bonus points for being a watchable and recommendable Direct-to-DVD film. You rarely get too many of those.
Starring: Devon Werkheisher and Scout Taylor-Compton. Directed by: Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg.
Devon Werkheiser is the lead, who is most famous for his role as Ned Bigby in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. That was a show about guiding someone through middle school. Love at First Hiccup could work as the R rated film as Ned in high school falling in love with a girl who is out of his league. The only thing it is missing is the so-called "tips" from the Television series.
The series wasn't bad, but it surely wasn't as good as Drake and Josh or Zoey 101. The big problem being the realism of it. The show's goal was to try and get the viewer through a day of middle school, avoiding as many problems and brick-walls as possible. Most of the time, the characters weren't in class and did things real people couldn't do (IE: Ned had a friend that periodically came up with weird, cockamamie technology creations). Other problems sometimes stemmed from the tip themselves. I'll never forget one episode where Ned continues to get "pants-ed" at school, and at one point tells the viewer "If you don't like getting pants-ed, try wearing a janitor's outfit." This caused me to think "is this show one complete joke?" The word of advice was used as an actual tip, but who in their right mind would come to school wearing a one-piece janitor's outfit? From there on out, I also imagined the characters had a certain smugness when giving out these "helpful" tips.
As for Love at First Hiccup, it plays like a raunchy, R rated Nickelodeon film. If you were to modify various four letter words into something of a family nature, took out sex dialog, and made the plot about getting a first date or a first kiss rather than the first time our character and another girl hit the bed than this could've truly been a PG rated film for the kiddies. Even the production qualities are no better than say Fred: The Movie or Gym Teacher: The Movie, other Nickelodeon-produced films.
The story concerns an early Freshman named Victor (Werkheiser) who, in his third day of school, immediately eyes and falls in lust with a Senior named Anya (Taylor-Compton) who is vastly out of his league. She, of course, has a boyfriend who drives a nice muscle guy, and persuades her to let him take her virginity before graduation. Victor hates the boyfriend, and wants Anya to be his first so they both can share the same experience.
Premise wise, the film is cute and plucky while silently incorporating an unexpected raunch-element. This sort of reminds me of College, which starred Nickelodeon-raised actor Drake Bell. It was strange to see him out of the Nickelodeon setting, and free to say whatever he pleased. Frequently, he dropped the f word, and the same thing goes with Werkheiser in this film. It's not bad, but it takes some definite getting used to. I would've loved it if the character Victor took a minute to break the fourth wall and say something like "If you want to get in a girl's pants, don't forget to wear a condom." The story's subplot is that Anya's younger brother and Victor's younger brother are good friends, and are in cahoots to make a film banking off of Victor's desperate attempts to sleep with Anya. It's cute, but stretched to the furthest length of plausibility. Same goes with Anya and Victor's relationship. It's so odd to see a Senior so inviting to this dorky Freshman. Maybe four years of high school taught patience, but the believability is low when you see her tolerance is high.
We also never hear too much from either side's friends. We see Victor's two dweeby pals, and we see one or two of Anya's girlfriends, but none of them ever greatly effect their decision-making. The character development for both leads is nice, but it's strange we don't get friendly advice anywhere in the film.
There is very little to complain about with Love at First Hiccup, accept granted it does have some minor realism problems. It's a cute, coming of age comedy-drama, and that's good enough. It's blatant because of its lead character's ambition to have sex at a young age, and on that note, it can be relatable for some people going through that phase. I also think this should get some hefty bonus points for being a watchable and recommendable Direct-to-DVD film. You rarely get too many of those.
Starring: Devon Werkheisher and Scout Taylor-Compton. Directed by: Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg.
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