I think the biggest enemy of Joy Ride was the trailers that were trying so hard to sell this movie as “What if Road Trip but with Asians”. Is Joy Ride that? Sure, but there is so much more to it, and the trailers never showed that side. On one side, I respect it because at least there was some surprise left for me to experience, but on the other hand, it made this movie seem quite generic. Although it couldn’t escape from some generic twists and turns, I liked it much more than I thought I would.
When this movie started, I was getting ready to see yet another comedy, where the jokes are either “WE ARE SHOUTING THE PUNCHLINE, YOU BETTER LAUGH!” or “Look, women/black people/Asian people/<insert your underrepresented group here> can be nasty and risqué too!” Lately, when people mention comedy, these are the movies we seem to be getting, and I am not saying there aren’t some that have been good, but some variety would be nice. By variety, I mean it would be cool to get more stories and make them comedies rather than go with the generic road trip formula mixed in with shouting. For some of it, this movie is that, but it’s much easier to tolerate it due to its cast.
This is where I must shout out all four protagonists. Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu have all been great. They all had their moment to shine, complemented each other well, and their overall chemistry felt real. They didn’t click straight away because they weren’t supposed to be friends instantly, but, in the end, you could see them becoming friends. Also, Joy Ride is a perfect example of an ensemble movie. I usually highlight one actor or actress that stood out; however, I can’t choose just one character in this movie. They all contributed to my enjoyment of this film, and more importantly, they understood their assignment. Their characters never felt too samey. That is one of the biggest issues I have had with modern comedies lately – when everyone wants to have all the jokes, making all characters feel identical. This movie avoids it well by giving us four unique people who play to their strengths throughout it.
When this movie grabbed my attention was in the second half. Because the first half is fine, and I chuckled a few times, but again, there were many “Hey, I have seen this scene before!” generic situations, as with most comedies. However, the second half surprised me because their being “stranded” in China was never a big deal, the way the trailers seemed to imply. Every time something happened to them, the movie resolved it a few minutes later, so this was my first surprise, given I expected a comedy about four almost friends being stuck in China.
The real turn came with Audrey’s character searching for her mum and how that storyline went. Again, we have seen that main payoff before, but some things before that surprised me. The scene where her search culminates is done very well without giving anything away. I was also surprised how the movie suddenly became a bit more original, for example, Audrey’s job and Kat’s (Stephanie Hsu) career… Now, I am not saying this movie strays away completely, and you will be shocked with the ending, no. It’s a comedy, after all, so of course there is a happy ending. What I am trying to say is that the path towards it is thorny, and the movie decided to accept the consequences and deal with them rather than the “the hero makes a moving speech and saves her job/project/family” scene we have come to expect from modern comedies.
The identity plotline added the much-needed gravitas to this otherwise unhinged film, and the best part was it never felt wrong or forced. Whether it was about Audrey looking for her mum and then having to accept that she knew much less than she thought or the movie’s view of how it is growing up in the USA and being different, those were the layers I appreciated and enjoyed the most. For her feature debut, Adele Lim (the director and co-writer of the film) did a great job bringing everything and everyone together. I hope she gets another shot at directing, given this movie absolutely bombed in the theatres. I would blame that on the marketing and mainly the people/company behind those generic trailers that failed to communicate what made this movie unique rather than any performers or the people behind the camera.
Overall, Joy Ride was a fun ride indeed. Although the movie couldn’t avoid some generic pitfalls, it eventually managed to make its mark and landed the finale. I think it will be a great movie to rewatch because of the four main protagonists and their chemistry. Also, more movies should have a five minute scene featuring Daniel Dae Kim; I wish he would be in more movies. The moment he showed up, I knew he would deliver, and he did and then disappeared. If you are looking for a raunchy fun with some genuine heart, Joy Ride may be for you.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke
