Some might argue that the teen movie genre is beyond saving-that when marketing a film specifically for teens,  a dependency on the gratuitous and the cliche is inherent.

Was Superbad a teen movie? Anyone who enjoyed it would probably protest the classification. But even Wikipedia lists it alongside such films as Eurotrip and Dude, Where’s My Car? Maybe there are two kinds of teen movies-those that the studios churn out every year to make profit, featuring the newest trends and catchphrases over old story structures, and those that merely feature situations and themes that are local to youth.

Sex Drive, directed by Sean Anders, rests comfortably in the former category. The film follows Ian,  played by Josh Zuckerman, on his quest to-you guessed it-get laid. As goofy as any good star of a teen comedy, Ian has little luck with the girls in his town. So when he gets an offer to screw a girl he meets online, Ian packs his best friend Lance (played by Clark Duke) and his BFF Felicia (Amanda Crew) into his brother’s GTO and hits the road (hence the title).

By this time, the audience has already seen enough to solidify any notions of this as a teen movie in the strictest sense; everything from the crappy job at the mall to the awkward party scene reeks of formulation.

Anyone who isn’t positive how the movie will end before they ever get on the road is probably equally surprised whenever the Road Runner successfully evades Wile E. Coyote.

The plot follows the rubric set forth by similar films almost exactly, down to the very strategic placement of choreographed female nudity, which market research probably determined should appear at times X, Y and Z.

As it remains so entrenched in its genre, Sex Drive will likely only appeal to a subsection of American teens who consider themselves teen movie aficionados. These people might be able to find the subtle differences between this film and the plethora of others like it.

Perhaps a new perspective will become possible with time.  Just as much as film noir was considered the “B” movies of the time,  certain teen movies might ripen with age.

The ordeals Ian must overcome are too predictable to involve the audience. Luckily for the production, they are nothing more than platforms to deliver jokes. Which,  is not a fault of the film.  Anyone prejudiced against the genre will be happily surprised by Sex Drive-it delivers humor above expectation and is well above the competition.

Yes, there are some gross jokes, but even the physical comedy appears well done.  In one scene, Ian is in his Senor Donut suit passing out coupons in the mall. Unbeknownst to him, some kids have glued a dildo to his costume and when he approaches a girl beside her father, the man throws Ian down the stairs.  Maybe this scene isn’t terribly funny,  but at least Anders had the sense to cut after the action and not leave the camera on, forcing the audience to wallow in uneasy disgust as the protagonist gives a failed attempt at reconciliation-which similar films often do.

There are some very funny parts to this movie. But Sex Drive doesn’t live from monumental joke to monumental joke. Even the smaller material is passable, and that is due to the film’s strongest suite-the acting.

As the main character, Zuckerman succeeds in being bland. Jokes happen around him, but his function is to facilitate this, not be a clown himself.  A counter-example would be the American Pie trilogy where the protagonist attempts to occupy the audience’s attention all too much and without justification. Zuckerman is much less annoying than Jason Biggs.

Of the rest of the cast, Seth Green, Duke and Marsden deserve special mention. Green plays essentially himself in a beard, as a sarcastic Amish man. Duke plays the best friend in the film and looks like he’s having the most fun. Marsden plays Rex, Ian’s older brother who is into two things-muscle cars and hilarious over-the-top queer bashing.

To go into more detail would be to ruin some very funny jokes-they are essentially all this film has to offer.  Anyone who is partial to comedy and forgiving of the teen movie genre should love this film.