TRIPPIN' A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *
Have you grown tired of the recent slew of lame teen comedies? You know the ones. Filled with sexual innuendo and crude humor, they feel duty bound to end in the big prom scene.
Well, TRIPPIN's writer Gary Hardwick and director David Hubbard have a few new ideas to bring to this overworked genre. Two to be precise.
Are you sitting down? Here comes the big inspiration. They've chosen an almost all-black cast. Yes, they've recycled most of the same old humor, but they populated this middle class, suburban high school with African-Americans. Gosh, what an amazing concept. Using the same pastoral setting and well-manicured lawns, they plunked down a cast with a different skin color to repeat the same old lines.
Their second clever gimmick is that they decided to set half of the movie in a dream world. This way Greg (Donald Adeosun Faison), the film's wimpy lead, can imagine the life he wants. In these "trippin'" sessions, he surrounds himself with bikini clad girls with large, man-made bosoms.
And, whereas in real-life his grades are a disaster, in his fantasies, Greg is sought after by the best colleges. He interviews the college recruiters rather than the other way around. When Harvard comes to call, he demands to know exactly how many "honeys" they have on campus. Greg also sees himself as a world-famous, foul-mouthed poet. As his beefy bodyguards keep his screaming female fans at bay, he lets spew a stream of expletives that form his poetry.
In a recent article in the New York Times, Spike Lee bemoaned the fact that studios favor BOOTY CALL movies about African-Americans over more substantive ones like ROSEWOOD. He also told the ugly truth that audiences, of all colors, favor the former, so the audiences are as much to blame as the studios.
TRIPPIN continues in the tradition of the African-American movie that insults African-Americans by filling the story with racial and sexual stereotypes. The only rich African-American, for example, is the local crime boss. He drives a shiny, black car and wears fancy suits. We also have the crotchety old grandfather figure, who spends all of his time complaining about the food. Worst of all are the females. Most of the girls, except for the lead named Cinny (Maia Campbell), are judged solely by the size of their breasts and their buttocks.
The unfunny script is filled with extremely awkward snippets of dialog. While practicing a job interview in class, Cinny comes up with a one-liner that would certainly bemuse any prospective employer. "I am the light that illuminates the answers you need to know," she says. Bet you've never been told that by an interviewee.
The whole plot is that Greg wants to date the super-popular Cinny, who only goes out with the BMOC. In a high school in which the school's sign proclaims that "Copulation is Salvation," do you think he might eventually win her over?
Cinny's cliched best friend, a pudgy girl who can't get a date, puts Greg down some pretty hard to take, but obvious, facts. Greg doesn't have a gang or a car. Still, when the prom music starts, you know that this kid's luck will change. Too bad the audience's never does.
TRIPPIN' mercifully runs just 1:32. It is rated R for sex, nudity and profanity and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com
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