College Road Trip (2008)

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

I would have rated 0 if I could. I didn't laugh one single time except for when I was mocking how ridiculous this movie is. I realize it's for kids but I have seen kids movies which were actually funny. This one was extremely cheesy and stale. It used old boring gags and bland jokes. It was also very predictable and transparent. It seems to be in the vein of popular Disney television shows like Hannah Montana. I suppose if you like that type of programming you might like this. I don't and if I had my own kids, this would not be anything like what i'd be watching with them. I'm disappointed to see that Disney movies seem to be getting exponentially worse as time goes on. ='(

"Melanie Porter" (Raven-Symone) has finally come to lock horns with her father (Martin Lawrence) after growing up as "Daddy's Little Girl." She wants to go to Georgetown University, but he is way too over-protective, and demands that she Northwestern University, which is less than 30-minutes from the family home.She plans a college road trip with two friends (Brenda Song and Margo Harshman), but good old daddy has plans for him to take her on the trip himself.Everything goes wrong for "Melanie" on the trip, which includes her father recruiting fellow police officers to stage an outrageous scene to get her to go to Northwestern to her brainiac brother (Eshaya Draper), stowing away with the family pig in their father's police vehicle.Now, the foursome have to get to Georgetown before "Melanie's" dreams come crashing to the ground.I have to say this is one of the most predictable movies I've seen in some time. You knew during the opening credits that there was going to be comedic bumps in the proverbial road, with the two main characters fighting all the way until they bond again at the end of the film.I wasn't too impressed with the humor. Again, due to the predictability of the movie. I probably laughed six times the entire movie. Most of the jokes you've seen in other movies, and are done better in those movies. The gags were not set up well if you ask me, and you knew the punchline was coming just as the comedic scenes were starting.I also did not like the performances of Donny Osmond and his on-screen daughter played by Molly Ephraim. There is such a thing as being too over-the-top, and they were. Personally, I don't think either were happy with their roles, as, to me, they seemed to have forced their performances a bit too much.On the other hand, Martin and Raven-Symone were pretty good together, and did a fairly good job at being a comedy team -- with her being the "straight man" to Martin as the comic. I've flipped passed Raven-Symone's TV series when they are in the middle of a comedic moment. In the show, she seems to be forcing herself at the comedy. Here, she was more comfortable.The supporting cast was completely under used. It seemed to me that characters showed up when needed in the script. There was very little character development in these characters beyond of being told who they were, and how they related to the main characters. Mostly, the supporting cast were either used in comedic scenes, or to set up plot twists.As for the soundtrack, it's mostly well-known tunes heard for decades, sometimes in other movies and television shows. There isn't any of the major names from Disney like the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus on the soundtrack. It's the original artists you hear like the Jackson 5. You also only get one original song in the movie, sung on-screen by Raven-Symone in a funny moment on a tour bus filled with karaoke-singing Japanese tourists. The song itself was upbeat, and is easy to dance to, but you won't be singing it for weeks after.I couldn't really get into this movie, thanks to it being so predictable. However, there are a few good laughs and pretty good performances from Raven-Symone and Martin which barely carry the movie. I would have to say save this one for a rainy day when there is nothing else on.

This movie is geared for a specific audience of pre-teen girls, and if you are not in that target group, this movie is quite stupid. I didn't find it funny. Martin Lawerence plays an overprotective father whose daughter is going to college. He wants her to go to school close to home, but she wants to go to Georgetown. They decide to take a road trip to Georgetown for her interview. Her young brother and his pet pig hitch a ride too, and they must overcome several mishaps to get to Georgetown in time for the interview. From skydiving to a pig on caffeine; it was just silly.FINAL VERDICT: A terrible Disney film.

In a time when teen movies revolving around college involves nudity, sex and crass behaviour, this movies stands out. It is not the usual hyped out scenario with drinking and raving. Instead, it is a movie that shows the appropriate behaviour that teens should have without promoting promiscuity at all.The sorority house scene is very commendable as it sends a message to both teens and parents that Greek societies can be more than what is perceived to be the norm.Although I enjoyed the movie and recognise it as a shining star over other teenage movies, I have to admit that conditioning from other teen movies made me give this movie a lower rating than it deserves.Why? We are led to expect certain things, and when they are not there then we think its not right. But I will say that this movie is right in many ways. The media influences our life and more movies like this should be released to educate todays generation of teenagers that fun doesn't have to be tied to sex.