Film Review: Good Times Do a Snowball Roll in Fun ‘Project X’

CHICAGO – The legendary high school party is often the myth of memory than actual events, but most people have been there, and that is what makes “Project X” so much fun. Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown are the party masters, rocking in Pasadena, California.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

There is something weirdly voyeuristic about seeing a party go out of control, and “Project X” rolls off the tracks with fireworks to spare. What makes it work is that it’s always conscious of the shadowing civility in the real world, but chooses to toss that in the pool without looking back. The more outrageous the anarchy becomes, the more epic the party and the celebration is, even when the inevitable break down occurs. Plus the production is sharp and tight, with not a wasted frame of the good times, and even the aftermath includes a certain awareness.

Thomas (Thomas Mann) is celebrating his 17th birthday, on the same weekend his parents are out of town. One of his best buds, Costa (Oliver Cooper), dubs the potential celebration of that birthday “Project X.” He has even retained the services of school videographer Dax (Dax Flame) to record all of the impending events. Thomas and Costa recruit their other pal, J.B.(Jonathan Daniel Brown), to help plan the party-of-the-century, and turn to social media to invite virtually the whole town of Pasadena, California.

What starts as a plea from Thomas to have 50 people maximum, soon escalates into hundreds of celebrants, as the pool, property and house become engorged by the party monster. Thomas tries hard to tamp down the noise and size, to less and less success. Everything and everybody capitulates to a riotous celebratory state and the house, neighborhood and city explodes with the unforgettable event.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Project X” [17]

L-R: Jonathan Daniel Brown (J.B.), Oliver Cooper (Costa) and Thomas Mann (Thomas) in ‘Project X’ Photo credit: Beth Dubber for Warner Bros. Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Project X” [17]