Mardi Gras: Spring Break

This film is purely lowest common denominator stuff. Poorly staged poop, boob and dick jokes that don't even come close to raising a chuckle. The cast put in their all, but they can not rise above the terrible script and direction. Especially embarrassed is Josh Gad who did such a fantastic job on Broadway's "Book Of Mormon" recently. The most disturbing element of this film however is the blatant ugly homophobia. Being gay is often discussed as a disgusting and negative thing. Men showing any affection towards each other is greeted with boos and anger by other characters. This whole attitude give the film a feel of something made 20 years ago. If you really want to watch a sex comedy starring Nick D'Agostino, then give this a miss and watch "Fired Up" instead.

"Mardi Gras" makes the audacious choice of putting its worst scene at the beginning: you know how sex comedies have to start with a big set piece, one huge laugh that pulls you in and never lets you go? Well, "Mardi Gras" starts with an elderly couple we'll never see again remembering their first Mardi Gras, which very predictably turns into an overly explicit conversation about sex. I've seen and heard some horrid things in this subgenre, but an elderly woman literally just describing how her husband ejaculated on her breasts, without an actual joke in sight? Not how you lure me in. It's only like a thirty- second vignette, but it easily feels like thirty minutes. Who writes this and honestly thinks he's struck gold? Oh, we'll get two elderly actors and write some sex-related words on a napkin, maybe it'll be funny by accident. It won't.

I'm glad to say that's the only cringe-inducing scene in the movie, it doesn't have laugh-out-loud moments but I got through it fairly well. "Mardi Gras" is hurt though by the fact that its plot just hobbles along. It starts of with two losers who can't get a girlfriend (not saying "boobs" in every sentence could help), then they turn on the TV and it's a report on Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So uh...let's go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans! If that's all the effort you're going to do to set this up, why not just start the movie at Mardi Gras? The lack of stakes also makes it difficult to connect: Bret Harrison was a believable nerd in "Grounded For Life", but even there he got the girl fairly quickly. We're honestly supposed to buy him as a desperate, 25-year-old virgin? Would have made a lot more sense to reserve that subplot for the obese friend who's desperately trying to be Jonah Hill. The movie quickly deteriorates into a collection of barely related sketches, which are occasionally good for a chuckle but never add anything to the meager story.

There is a saving grace though: Nicholas D'Agosto and Arielle Kebbel have a very natural style in their acting, and though their story is highly predictable it didn't really bother me. They both have likable characters, which is kind of a rarity in "American Pie" rip- offs. Hell, most of them don't even have characters. They really have great chemistry, I wish the movie didn't waste that much time in Carmen Electra's (does she ever refuse a role?) hotel room or showing not Jonah Hill naked. Come on not Jonah Hill, I'm trying to have popcorn here. "Mardi Gras" isn't a great movie, but it's not a completely brainless sex comedy either.

Mike Morgan (Nicholas D'Agosto) is a college guy from the northeast. His girlfriend Erica (Danneel Ackles) doesn't like his idiot friends Bump (Josh Gad) and Scottie Smith (Bret Harrison) whom he's known since high school. She's distraught after her grandfather's death. His friends convince him on a road trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. They are shocked to see Erica partying and flashing her boobs. The boys run into Carmen Electra. Mike meets Lucy Mills (Arielle Kebbel) and Bump meets local Ann Marie (Regina Hall).

This type of broad college sex comedies are getting old. Josh Gad is throwing everything at this and it feels very common. Almost everything seems flat in this one. The poop joke is so common that I actually got bored. It's not shocking anymore. The only truly fun scene for me is the boys competing against the teams of girls in the wet T-shirts. It allows the three guys to play off each other better in something a little different. Too bad, it's only one scene in a whole movie of been-there and done-that sex-romp.

Mardi Gras: Spring Break (2011) is a movie I recently watched on Amazon Prime. The storyline follows a group of friends at Penn State that decide to venture off together one last time for Spring Break in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Fortunate for them they keep running into Carmen Electra, unfortunate for them nothing they planned for New Orleans goes as planned...

This movie is directed by Phil Dornfeld (Guilty Hearts) and stars Nicholas D'Agosto (Gotham), Josh Gad (Frozen), Regina Hall (Girls Trip), Carmen Electra (Scary Movie), Danneel Ackles (Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay) and Arielle Kebbel (The Grudge 2).

The storyline for this picture has an American Pie/newer National Lampoons feel to it. The comedic content actually has a few good moments and Gad is pretty funny throughout. The initial nude party invite scene, the fan/poop combo sequence and the wet t-shirt contest were pretty good...but the float ending was super cheesy and painful to watch unfold.

Overall this does have a few scenes that will give you a chuckle but not enough to make it worth watching. I would score this a 3.5/10 and recommend skipping it.

I'd like to think of myself as a veteran of these types of films, I am only 18, but I have seen the majority of the movies in this genre, from American pie to roadtrip, animal house to old school and vandwilder to the hangover.

Mardi Gras: Spring Break is a real solid effort and an enjoyable film. It me be a B grade straight to DVD film but don't let this turn you off. If you are into College party, teen sex and crude comedy then you should enjoy this film. The acting is surprisingly good, the story may not be original but is still interesting and familiar to a younger crowd, I can't really think of a negative thing to say about this movie but I will say its not the best movie like this but its definitely not bad.

If you feel like getting pumped for going out and partying or are just a long time fan of party movies then I would definitely recommend Mardi Gras: Spring Break.