The teen-party comedy "Project X" is overloaded with foul language, gratuitous nudity, obnoxious characters, and the sub-standard cinematography of the "found footage" style that has become a genre unto itself. But damn if it's not entertaining.
The story is as old as the hills: Nerdy Thomas (Thomas Mann) is having a birthday, and his loudmouth pal Costa (Oliver Cooper) plans the mother of all keggers at Thomas' house while his parents are out of town. Assisted by their dorky pal J.B. (Jonathan Daniel Brown), all are caught on video by Dax (Dax Flame). Costa's party includes DJs, a bounce house, naked girls in the pool, two underage security guards armed with Tasers, and lots of booze and weed. What isn't planned includes complaining neighbors, a lot of Ecstacy, an angry little person, and a late appearance by the North Pasadena Police Department's SWAT team.
Rookie director Nima Nourizadeh (backed by the muscle of "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips as producer) keeps the plot moving to the ceaseless beat of the dance-music soundtrack, and captures the nervous energy of these sex-obsessed teens.
The movie loses its edge in the out-of-control violent finale, but young audiences (the ones who will sneak in because of the R rating) will identify with these desperate-to-be-cool teens.
HHH
'Project X'
Opens Friday, March 2, at theaters everywhere; rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, nudity, drugs, drinking, pervasive language, reckless behavior and mayhem all involving teens; 88 minutes.