A movie based off of one of the most notorious MTV shows of all time? How bad could it be?
Simply put, it's not good at all. As other reviewers have mentioned, there are plot holes such as one of the main characters explicitly stating that she is vegan and then eating ice cream towards the end of the film. Compounding upon these issues, the script is pretty lackluster though the actors still give it their all. And the cinematography can be described as awkward in some scenes. Not to mention the obvious overdubbing at at least one point. All in all, the movie falls flat, not only due to its technical imperfections, but right down to its very plot. Throughout the film, the main characters emotionally manipulate their parents in order to get them to spend exorbitant amounts of money on their parties. Not much character growth occurs during the film, with the main characters not deviating much from their typical character archetypes.
One of the only bright spots was the music used in the movie, although the film does not commit to playing many of these songs in their entirety. Also, I have to give the writers credit for including at least one brave political hot take. At one point in the film, a character mentions a certain region in the PRC that has suffered much during recent history. I must give this film props for its courage to call out a formidable adversary. But, the few positives of this film do not outweigh the many negatives. MTV should have stuck with music videos.
