Trippin'

Everything in the movie was predictable and cartoonish. It kind of reminded me of a "black" "Saved By The Bell" movie. I got tired of the played sad/infatuated with beautiful-girl/day-dreamin' high school kid movies. I mean, this sort of story is just played out. Surprisingly, I liked "Good Burger" better than this movie, and that's by Nickelodeon!!!! I would wait until this movie appears on TNT, USA, or Comedy Central to see it again. I definitely wasted $13.50 on a date to see this movie.

There were a lot of unnecessary plots, profanity, and scenes throughout the movie. They were so insignificant, the movie got off beat by a long shot. It deserves a Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst Cheesiness." The only part I liked in the movie, was when they trying to feed his grandfather at the breakfast table. Now that was comedy. Overall the movie belongs in a dumpster, next to the used up Goodwill items.

A classic high school film in the mold of the John Hughes pics from the '80s. Decent story aided by good performances and some great jokes. You'll never look at fried eggs the same way again. Load granddad up with pork and enjoy.

Deon Richmond is anxious to get to the prom, but his parents are of no help. They want him to apply to college, but he's just been drifting through, dreaming about getting together with Maia Campbell, working his low-paid job at the rib joint, and fantasizing about being various things -- rap star, war hero, and so forth.

It's the sort of comedy in which the losers turn out to be winners because the apparent winners are awful, like Animal House. As such, it hits all the plot points, and for a bit just before the end, seems to have some heart. It's in the earlier parts, when we see his fantasies and how they are punctured that it fails. They're so over-the-top and even gross that I could take no pleasure in them. Richmond seems to be a competent performer, and perhaps witha better script, he might have attained the peribathos the situation calls for. Unfortunately, it is what it is.

This is one of my favourite comedies even though it is a little more low budget than most. I enjoyed it because of the hilarious characters in the movie like the grandfather, and Greg himself, also Greg's daydreaming scenes are hilarious. I found it to have a realistic portrayal of African American families,unlike some movies and tv shows that display black families differently and wrongly. This is another reason why I enjoyed the movie, I could relate to a lot of the characters in the movie and everybody was simple and down to earth. I will never get tired of watching this movie, it is great. It is not a comedy for everyone, that's for sure. To really enjoy this movie you would probably have to be able to relate to the characters, if not you won't find the humour in it. For a low budget movie, it is really funny!

TRIPPIN' / (1999) ** (out of four)

By Blake French:

"Trippin" refers the daydreaming of a character as he fantasizes about being successful, popular, and having young, voluptuous, scantily clad women exposing themselves to him. The character's named is "G," a slacker played by Deon Richmond, a high school senior with nothing better to do than imagine himself as being powerful and rich. The biggest problem in his life is finding a date for the upcoming senior prom, and getting some money so he can afford to go. His parents (characters recycled straight from "The Nutty Professor," except not as funny) refuse to supply him with cash until he submits his college applications. "G" also has a teacher who tries to teach him to plan for the future, but he would rather waste his time with his two best friends, who waste most of their time.

"G" falls in love with the smartest and most beautiful girl in his school. Her name is Cinny Hawkins (Maia Campbell), and "G" knows he does not have a chance in hell with her. He soon gets the idea that if he makes himself look good and impresses her by lying, she will find him irresistible. Although at first Cinny wants absolutely nothing to do with "G," she soon finds him as an interesting young person and the two become friends.

"Trippin" would not be bad if it had any point whatsoever. It does contain an underlying message, just be yourself, but the execution of the material is juvenile and too immature. There are a lot of light-hearted scenes, and the movie is clearly not to be taken seriously, but with more thought there could have been some potential considering the amusingly exaggerated characters and the clever performances.

"Trippin" hits a few targets, but unfortunately they are the wrong targets. It knows how to develop romantic chemistry, and it is interesting to see a hopeless romantic become friends with the unlikeliest mate. There could be so much more though, if the characters were given more to do, and if they were better defined, and if the script provided more funny sequences rather than enlightening ones; this movie is about a nobody character in a shallow situation. Neither the tension nor stakes are high enough to hold attention. The film does manage to avoid falling into the contrived pitfall of clichés, standing on its own as an imaginative character study. You may not expect a movie like this to be too pushy on a moral theme, but that is exactly the case here.

What keeps the movie somewhat interesting is G's realization of maturity and struggle with peer pressure. There is a consistent and imaginative point of view, but it is not supported with equally effective dialogue. The romantic elements between "G" and Cinny are chemistry-rich and charming; this is the most enjoyable thing in "Trippin." The film also makes a good point about losers, but it feels as if the characters are following the script rather than making convincing choices on their own.

In short, "Trippin" is an amusing romantic comedy with imagination and colorful elements, but ultimately fails to a lackluster script. Rating: C+