by Tracey Barrientos & Ryan Guerra
She Said:
Comedy director Jake Kasdan,known for his films Orange County, Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story and Bad Teacher gained some much needed help and inspiration from a popular website known as YouPorn for his latest film Sex Tape. The film stars the beautiful blond haired blue eyed Cameron Diaz and the silly looking Jason Segel.
Annie (Diaz) and Jay (Segel) are your typical married couple who 10 years and two kids later have long since lost their passionate and adventurous spark. Annie is a housewife and blogger who writes about the college years when she and Jay would get excited just by looking at each other. She wonders “How the hell do you get it back?” Their only option is to switch things up and ignite the flame that they had back in college. I guess their only way to do that was by making a sex tape.
While watching the trailer for this film it states that it is the funniest film this year and I have to disagree. We are all used to seeing these two in rom-com movies and they do great, most of the time. For some reason the chemistry between them seemed sort of off and a little awkward though the film really isn’t about that. That’s right folks it’s all about SEX. The basis: couple gets drunk, makes sex tape, tape not erased and is sent into the “cloud”, must find tape and erase before everybody sees. It simply is a film about a film that you won’t be able to see.
Although ridiculous,the movie is funny in parts and provides some deep belly laughs, but some parts feel a little long and drawn out. After seeing this film I have now seen plenty of Segel’s backside that will last for a lifetime. This film wasn’t as disappointing as I thought it would be but it wasn’t great either. It really didn’t sync to my comedy “cloud” if you know what I mean but it was somewhat entertaining nonetheless. It’s like an adult film with a PG rating even with the special appearances from other popular comedic actors.
Leave the kids at home folks because Sex Tape is rated R for lots of strong sexual content, nudity, language and some drug use. Running time: 95 minutes.
1.5 stars out of five
He Said:
When married couple Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) try to spice up their non-existent sex life, they decide to make a sex video….it works….however Jay’s iPad auto syncs to several other iPads he has given away as gifts. And thus hilarity ensues as Jay and Annie attempt to get the iPads back, including one that Annie gave to Hank, (Rob Lowe) the CEO of a wholesome family company trying to buy her blog.
As far as R-rated comedies go, this film is pretty tame. I mean, this movie never really breaks that “OMG” barrier that you might come to expect. There are several spots in this film where you might expect it to go too far, however the film reins itself in and goes the other way. Almost as if they were trying to make a “family comedy.” There is no gratuitous nudity but you do see plenty of Jason Segel’s ass shots. The thing is he has lost so much weight, that he actually looks sickly at times. It creates more of a sense of awkwardness rather than humor. Cameron Diaz on the other had looks amazing. The only weird part is that the characters are supposed to be “young” newlyweds and well, let’s face it, her face doesn’t exactly seem “young.” The film opens with them in college and she is really not all that believable. It’s a shame that Diaz hasn’t evolved into a classy, sophisticated woman in Hollywood and instead is still holding onto her looks to land her roles that might be better played by someone younger.
That being said, Segel and Diaz have an infectious chemistry on film that dates back to when the two previously teamed up with director Jake Kasdan on Bad Teacher. They do a believable job as a married couple who enjoy each other’s company and want to make their marriage work. They are also both respectable when it comes to the timing of both verbal and facial deliveries of punch lines. The two are joined by solid supporting actors Rod Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine) and Ellie Kemper (The Office) who play their best friends and a couple who are going through similar hurdles in their own marriage. But the biggest laughs come from when the couple visits Rob Lowe’s house. Lowe’s character and home dishes out some of the biggest laughs and is easily the most memorable part of the film. There is also an unexpected humorous cameo towards the end that gives a “life lesson” and helps the film ends on a high note.
Overall, Sex Tape isn’t the best comedy of the summer, nor is it a must buy when it comes out on DVD. But it is a comedy worth watching if you are looking to escape the summer heat.
For more on this film, check out Ryan’s podcast review with Michael Moreno – “Sex Tape” Podcast Review by Ryan Guerra & Michael Moreno
3 out of 5 stars
