Rites of Passage

First - it takes WAY too long for this movie to get going.

Second - I believe in respecting all cultures, but this movie was so ridiculous (talking sock puppet), that I don't know how any Native American could be offended by any representations in the film.

Now, college professors and students look pretty stupid.

There ARE some pretty amusing moments.

Most from Christian Slater.

Although I felt all the actors did a great job, the material?

I wouldn't waste my time.

The "4" is because I actually made it through.

THE FINAL RITES (aka RITES OF PASSAGE) is a very strange little movie. It involves a group of high school students who are being taught about esoteric Native American drugs by their slick teacher. One of the students has an elder brother who experiments with these narcotics, which turns him into a psychopath. Inevitably a group of the students go away for the weekend for a beach holiday and find themselves being menaced by all and sundry.

There's a definite sense here that the story was being made up as they went along. Certainly it seems to make little sense and by the end it's fallen apart entirely, so the "narrative" consists of characters killing each other off until only the final survivors are left. The first half of the film, which is the build up, is actually mildly enjoyable, so it's a pity that the it goes absolutely nowhere come the end.

Three famous faces are mixed up in this mess. Wes Bentley plays virtually the same likable loner/weirdo character as he did in American BEAUTY. Stephen Dorff shows up as a cool teacher who's down with the kids, and strips off to show his buff body when required. Then there's an almost unrecognisable Christian Slater, hilariously playing a demented psychopath who just wants to kill everybody. His interactions with a sock puppet bring to mind the PG Tips adverts in the UK starring Johnny Vegas and Monkey. It's all very silly and relatively bloodless, meaning there's not much here for the viewers.

It starts with the poster being misleading I was hoping the movie would be cool like the poster. The poster is actually way better than the movie.

The movie is supposed to be about Native American stuff, however if you blink you will miss the parts that have actual Native Actors. This film reinforces some dangerous ideas about recreational use herbs as hallucinogenic drugs, Cultural Stereotypes about Native people and the objectification of women.

Native woman are 3x more likely to be raped than other groups. This movie glamorizes the abduction and assault of Native American women which is totally inexcusable as a substitute for entertainment.

This movie actually sucks to the max. The acting is shoddy and its a terrible misuse of Stephen Dorff's talent (which is huge) I am really bummed he was in this turkey. Nobody in this movie is even Chumash and they managed to P' off an entire tribe of Native Americans for this tomato of a film. Nice one, jerks.

DON'T SEE IT!! Save the popcorn for a better occasion.

Peter Iliff has come a long way since his first successful screenplay, Point Break. His new film, Rites of Passage, is a complete departure from the Hollywood norm. The film focuses around a group of friends in Santa Barbara who take a lot of drugs and trip out on some ranch. The film is clearly directed towards a younger audience, and for the budget they were given, I think they did a great job. There isn't much past the surface of the film, but it works great as a popcorn thriller that I enjoyed with my friends. It was great to see all of the recognizable spots around Isla Vista and SB where Rites of Passage was shot. Would I watch it again? Maybe not. But it was certainly an entertaining and relevant film for a college student like myself.

While this movie is no award winning film, it does seem to get audiences attention. From beginning to end the film keeps a fast and thrilling pace, which help my attention. I was lucky enough to hear the directors speak in person, so I consider my self a little bias after really liking then men who made the film. In terms of the actual quality of the movie I think it was a fairly good movie. Definitely marketed towards a younger crowd. Includes a lot of sex, drugs, and partying so if your are into that you will find this movie entertaining. Also, the film includes a lot of blood and murder, so if you like funny thrillers it is the film for you. Would I buy a copy to own? Probably not. But it was enjoyable to watch since it was filmed in Isla Vista, where I currently live. All in all Rites of Passage is a goofy thriller good for a night in with popcorn, and a few laughs.