Love at First Hiccup

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.

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.

It's a cute romantic comedy. I loved, smiled and laughed after watching this movie.

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.

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.