Intercambio cultural

This is the first teen movie where all the actors actually are and/or look like teens. If you are looking for a movie with "American Pie" humor, then continue searching, because this movie can not compete with "American Pie" humor. Don't get me wrong, I am not an "American Pie" fan but those movies are WAY more funny then this one.

This movie does not have any exaggerated scenes, everything you see could have happened for real. So don't expect any "Scary Movie" scenarios.

There are a few funny lines that I will never forget, like this one "Searching for a good girlfriend is like searching for a good used car, if the oil smells funny, there is something wrong with the vehicle." I gave this movie a 6 because I didn't laugh once. I smiled a couple of times but that's it. This is not the movie you want to buy, rent it, and only if you like high-school-movies.

There's no shortage of teen comedies out there to choose from, too many in fact. Despite the occasional gem, this genre is renowned for mass producing crap. Movies like 'Foreign Exchange' are exactly why teen movies in general have such a bad reputation. It plays up to each and every negative stereotype of the genre.

This is basically just a bad rip-off of 2007's 'Superbad'. Its attempts at humour are much the same, only 'Foreign Exchange' lacks the characters and wit to pull most of the jokes off. The failed humour combined with the predictably crap and wafer thin plot make 'Foreign Exchange' another cheap teen comedy to avoid.

Foreign Exchange is nothing other then just another team movie. It aims to be a little like American pie with a lot of sexual jokes. The story is really predictable and the jokes aren't really that good.

It's just another group friends who are trying to get to girls. The student exchange gives an opportunity for easy jokes because there are a lot different nationalities in the movie. But these easy jokes are not a relief for the movie.

Overall the movie wants to be another teen movie. But I would describe it as another bad teen movie. If I would describe this movie with 1 word it would be Predictable. There are way better movies in this genre at the moment.

In comparison to other teen films, the general plot is very similar and we have seen it before. Foreign Exchange does follow the basic "American Pie" and "Superbad" formula and although it isn't on their level, this film isn't completely terrible. It is predictable but we don't watch these films for predictability.

The characters aren't bad. The lead (Ryan Pinkston- also starred in Extreme Movie, also released in 2008) is a solid actor who plays a likeable character. The other two best friends of Jay and Shantz show character development towards the end. The last friend Hashbrown (smart stoner- obvious given his nickname) was severely underused. It seemed as if he was going to have more of a central role when the film started but he was just used not too frequently with the same ongoing jokes. The lead female of Robyn (resembled somewhat Olivia Thirlby) was likeable yet naive, however everything of course worked out in the end for the lead protagonist (as expected).

The French foreign exchange student was also somewhat underused. Initially thought there was going to be a slight twist in the end revealing that he wasn't actually French and that he was conning everyone. Although he did get exposed for sabotaging Dave (his motive and actions were predictable from the start) but given his terrible French accent, one assumed his character wasn't actually French and there would be some "twist". But nothing of that sort.

Curtis Armstrong also has a bit role playing the father of the lead giving him weird advice. His metaphor was one of the highlights the first time it was said.

Now this film's comedy really isn't clever and the jokes aren't special or funny. It does copy Superbad in its comedy tone with the "sensitive yet raunchy-esque" type. It has that feel where it starts off as a raunchy type comedy than develops slowly to a softer drama with a soft touch.

The film is lower budget but it's not the type that is unwatchable. As in, the main characters are actual actors who have done previous work. As well as veteran television/Hollywood supporting actors (Curtis Armstrong, Jennifer Coolidge). The acting is definitely passable for this type of film. And the camera work looks quality. This film isn't anything special and wasn't made to win awards. It's a decent time waster type.

I want my 80 minutes of life back, this movie tried so hard to be American Pie and pretty much every teen/sex/stoner comedy and ends up failing hard with a lot of unfunny, recycled/stolen jokes. Yes a guy shaves his pubes and suffers the consequences, just like in American Pie. Yes that's how awful it gets with blatantly trying to be other movies.

The characters were even worse, so blatantly ripped off and supposed to be teenagers but played by a bunch of 20-something year old nobodies who are still trying to get their careers started. There's the womanizing wild jock (gee sound familiar?) The innocent virgin guy waiting for the right one, the weird dad offering awkward sex advice to his son, the wild guy who wants to change for the right girl, the hot sex-crazed foreign exchange student, the stoner guy, etc etc. I think you already know where this is going.

I liked American Pie, 40 year old virgin, etc, I wasn't expecting a huge epic plot or anything, just to have a couple laughs, but I can't laugh at ripped off jokes and characters when it wasn't even a parody movie, and I can't even criticize it anymore because I've addressed pretty much everything and don't even think it deserves another paragraph. Don't even bother renting it.