LIKES:
Quick Pace:
-It feels like a joyride style pace, quick, unpredictable and very much to the point.
-Like Hangover and Due Date, it jumps quickly through the moments and gets to the point of having fun in the most concise time possible.
-And if you just want that fun, full throttle pace, then this movie has a factory that is good for you.
Exploring Parts of Asia
-Good cinematography brings the country and cities to life and adds a bit more realism and fun to the mix.
-It takes the facets of life and puts the twist on it and allows you to have a fun experience that maybe gets a little more informative then you would think.
-And the theater to all the antics, was very fun, dynamic, and offered a lot land to play around in and have a lot of cultural shenanigans come out of it.
-So very fun
The Music:
-Do you like K-Pop and Asian Techno? If so, this movie is for you.
-Joyride is a joy with the use of the tunes, bringing the energy of the genre out in the tunes that cover the scenic moments.
-There is a lot of beet and bass that is fun, but even more so is just how it adds that adventure and vacation atmosphere. Parties feeling upbeat with the bass, wild nights with the same vibe, and other adventures that all work with the musical genre.
-And don't forget the original song that is sure to be a hit on many things on the Internet, that is catchy, TikTok like, and somehow works into the ridiculous story And if the trend of Mario is anything, will be a number one hit.
The Acting.
-Most of the linked crew are first appearances and they did well, but the movie is more about the four non top billed groups and their ability to make characters
-Ashley Park is the ringleader to an extent, a wise, powerful, and charismatic lead who had a bit of range and helps keep the group grounded but also goes into the shenanigans at times painting a fun and dynamic character
-Sherry Cola is as fun as her name, an Awkwafina like charm, but with more edge and grunginess that works well with the group and gets a bit curbed at times.
-Sabrina Wu might have been my second character, especially at the end when the heart comes out. But she serves sort of the Seth Rogen style of comedy, namely in the extreme stupidity that somehow works to break the tension.
Stephanie Hsu is the one that has the Mean Girl spirit played well, that dives deep and comes out strong to balance out the girl group.
-The four of them work greatly together and I quite enjoyed how well they blended, meshed, and played with each other character qualities. Much like the Girls Trip bunch from before.
The Comedy At Times:
-Joy Ride works in many elements where I was laughing at the way words were delivered and the comedic timing. It's simple, that finesse in delivery just fun, and the attitude sells so many of the jokes.
-Other slapstick moments work in the way it proceeds, a pop and lock dance style really working for me, while other awkward moments won points for the reactions.
-As the story progresses, seeing the consequences of the actions has that "Oh Snap" moment and that too kind of adds some extra humor to the moment for fans like me.
-Many I feel are going to like a lot of the banter as well. Though not always for me, there is something about the realistic gossip and smack talk that works as well. Having such a posse works to add fun, but give those characters you can attach to go on the adventure.
-I will say it also helps if you have an understanding or relevance to the culture humor as well, as this will probably further enhance your experience.
The Story:
-Surprisingly, the story has a bit more kick than I got from the trailer with a few twists thrown into the mix.
-Joy Ride may be about eighty percent stupid fun and debauchery, but there is a story underlying it that drives me to stay interested.
-Even more surprising is some decent character development, and those tear jerking moments that allowed me to see more int the characters and appreciate them for who they were.
-And when it all closes out. It feels complete, leave open for more fun in a good way, and yet feels in tandem with the theme of the movie. A nice surprise for a movie like this having a little more to it.
DISLIKES
The Language
-The movie shows how promising it could be with smart writing, delivery, and balance. That goes out the window quickly.
-Joy Ride is a curse fest and starts using a lot of my least favorite words quite easily leading to this reviewer not having as much fun.
-Seasoning is fine, timing Is important, but dropping into the overuse and obsession to curse did little to help me in the grand scheme of things.
The Client Being A Lame Story Element:
-Much of the first third of the movie is about this big deal and trying to impress a client. Again, that goes out the window.
-Certainly hitting key moments, the whole client that the movie tries to make you think will be big, is kind of thin, a comic device with little heft and even less screen time.
-It's a shame, because that added a bit of a timeline and edge to get the events done, but again fizzles out and leads me feeling bored in the grand scheme of things.
Predictable:
-The twists aren't necessarily a surprise, at least story, and much of the movie writes itself for very easy to guess things.
-An agenda based moment gets in the way of the promising development, and though not the worst, sometimes veers too much into the racial jokes that did little for me.
-What works though is the surprise of the emotion and taking those moments further than I expected to help, alongside the fact that most people are going to have fun with the comedy aspects that predictability is not that big of a hit.
-In addition, I wish we had had more variety in what trouble they got into. Sure there were different things happening in different parts of the country, but I was hoping for a little more variety.
-A video game issue? How about some type of anime or quirky little fashion issue? Or something involving animals?
-That variety might have helped this component, or at least helped the next and last dislike for me.
A Bit Too Aggressive:
-The movie is not like Bridesmaids, Hangover, or even Girl's Trip in which there are some Oh wow moments, but still mostly contained.
-From the get go, this movie is very in your face, an aggressive, no hold back comedy, that the synopsis does warn you about, and I reiterate that warning.
-Joy Ride is hypersexual. That style doesn't do as much for me as others, and the crude, lewd, and often very visual style might have you turning away from the on screen antics.
-Drug use goes very far and often is very unfiltered, going far beyond a lot of the Stoner Films we have had in the past.
-Sure, it can be silly and fun, but beware of the raunchy bits and avoid this film if you don't want some of the grosser, in depth, violation of space that this movie has no problems doing.
-At times, I get why they did it. However, I think Joy Ride was overkill with ease and can't say that I personally found every moment necessary, fun, or even relevant to the full story when again there were other things to explore.
The VERDICT
Joy Ride is one of those films that is certainly one talk about given they hype and fun they built into the movie. This very R rated film has a lot of antics to enjoy with the four friends, mixing classic 2000 comedy, with Adult Swim attitude and an Asian energy that I think works in tandem very well to give you something fun. I did have fun with the film, and will say I laughed thanks to the impressive delivery and chemistry of the movie. While it is certainly extreme and potentially geared to a certain audience variety, the movie does promise a Joy Ride and you kind of get it. Surprisingly though, there is more depth to the characters than I imagined and think this is the redeeming factor of the movie for me in the beauty that lies beneath the layer of plot armor and entertainment aspect. There is caution though in how aggressive this movie is and the limitations that came with it. If you can't handle language, high sexual content, and aggressive levels to the point of overkill, then don't see this movie, because you will get more than your fill on it. This style doesn't do much for me anymore, and without the variety to balance it out, this movie quite honestly is a tad too much in pushing boundaries with everything they are trying to do. For those that love those types of movies though, get set for a laugh riot and diving into the deluge of comedic antics that they have in store for you. Balancing all that, Joy Ride is a fun film and one that if you can go as a group, would maximize the theater. However, for others, you might have a better time taking the risk with your friends at home. My scores for the film are:
Comedy: 7.0
Movie Overall: 6.0.
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