I have never denied the fact that I am a fan of what I refer to as “Boner Comedies.” You know the ones. They were on late night as you were a kid, maybe Zapped with Scott Baio as a kid who could move girls skirts up with his mind. Throughout the ages they have always been there, usually with the words, National Lampoon‘s in front of them. The modern-day classics are also there, such as the American Pie series; which I love. The Sex Drives, 21 & Overs, The InBetweeners. The age-old stories of a kid trying to lose his virginity and thinking of little else.
That’s not the entire premise of Dan Beers‘, Premature, but it definitely plays a large part into the story. Our main character Rob, played by John Karna, wakes up from a wet dream that continues to plague him again and again. You see, every time that
Rob prematurely ejaculates, his day starts over. This results in a play on Groundhog Day that I think actually works very well for the film. I didn’t read any previous reviews on Premature and the first time Rob’s day starts over from an encounter with the beautiful Angela (Carlson Young); I was just as surprised as Rob was at the premise.
What follows is a series of misadventures for Rob, as he relives his day and his mistakes repeatedly. He’s joined each day with his two best friends played by Craig Roberts and Katie Findlay, as he goes from stone-faced and stuck up, to literally not caring about the repercussions. Karna starts out the role completely bland and unlikable, but as the movie goes on and he realizes that he’s stuck in an endless loop, his performance gets better. He loosens up and gets more over-the-top.
No more so though than Alan Tudyk. He takes his role as the Georgetown admissions counselor to an all new level of outlandish. Going from a complete wreck to zany oddball all in one take, Tudyk brings the biggest laughs and is a refreshing addition to the cast.
I’m not going to spoil the movie, but it follows a similar plot to many movies featuring a guy and his girl best friend, and not realizing what’s been in front of him the whole time. I don’t mind that its cliche at this point. Premature had enough original laughs, and a great premise, that I enjoyed myself the whole 93 minutes run-time.
Highlights:
- Katie Findlay’s portrayal of the girl next door. Adorable and smart and funny.
- Pee in a squirt gun. Deliciously evil.
- the moment Rob realizes that when he ejaculates, the day changes. This sets up a ton of really funny expositions and circumstances to get him to the next day
- The term ‘Jizzikinesis’
- Grouplove song to close it out.
- Great deleted scenes
Lowlights:
- Rob at the beginning of the movie, way too serious. Maybe that was the point, but Karna just annoyed me and I questioned why his friends hung out with him
- The nana scene was super excessive and weird
- Any parents in the film. They all seemed like your real parents who you put into a movie and they just fudged through their scenes
I give Premature a 4 outta 5 stars. It was a refreshing take on an 80s idea, and with the Groundhog Day twist, it just worked for me. It had a ton of one-liners and I can’t wait to share this indie gem with my friends for a good night’s laugh. Good job Dan Beers, can’t wait to see the next one!
~Chaz
