Stoners face new, unfunny world
The time-travel stoner comedy “Ripped” blows a potentially funny idea on slapdash filmmaking and lazy storytelling. If much of this overly broad eye-roller wasn’t made up on the fly, it sure looks that way.
The film’s, er, high concept involves 17-year-old best buds and weed-fueled slackers Reeves (Kyle Massey) and Harris (Vandit Bhatt), who smoke some heavy-duty, Area 51-grown pot in 1986 and wake up 30 years later, older, fatter and, if it’s possible, dumber.
Although random chuckles result as man-boys Reeves (now played by Faizon Love) and Harris (Russell Peters) adjust to such new-world orders as Starbucks, Google and an African American president (uh, dated), the script by director Brad Epstein and Billiam Coronel only cursorily mines the comic gold.
The rest of what pass for jokes here, especially those related to sex, are too often lame, labored or both.
The movie’s nominal plot follows Reeves’ and Harris’ dunderheaded attempt to open a restaurant called the Chili Pot, whose name speaks for itself. Meanwhile, Harris’ reunion with his now-gorgeous, conveniently single high school girlfriend, Debbie (Alex Meneses), leads to unconvincing, chemistry-free romance. Debbie’s doper son (Bridger Zadina) also factors in.
It’s surprising that Love and Peters, who both have stand-up comedy backgrounds, couldn’t wring at least a few more authentic, better-timed laughs from the meager material. “Ripped.” Not rated. Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes. Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills.