For those of us who’ve been patiently waiting for the next “Superbad,” Project X is the answer to our prayers –at least that’s what the trailers have been telling us.

Project X Movie Poster (courtesy of Warner Bros.)

The film’s marketers have spent the last two months telling us it’s a “game changer” and “it’s like Superbad and the Hangover had sex.” It’s basically every teenage boy’s dream –boobs, profanity, drugs, and mayhem. Just to be clear, whether you’re a fan of raunchy comedy or not, Project X is nowhere near as good as Superbad. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the movie itself. 

Produced by the Hangover’s Todd Phillips, Project X is a mock documentary about “the ultimate high school party.” The premise is simple. It’s Thomas’s (Thomas Mann) 17th birthday and his best friends Costa (Oliver Cooper) and JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown) want to throw him the party of a lifetime. And what better time to throw a party than when Thomas’s parents are out of town for their honeymoon.

Thomas is a little reluctant about the party because they aren’t very popular and he’s afraid no one will show up.  Not wanting to let his friend down, Costa makes sure to invite every person under the age of 30 in the Pasadena area. He even goes as far as posting the party on Craigslist. Costa is so convinced the party will be a hit, he hires loner Goth-boy Dax to film the night’s escapades. 

From that moment on, the craziness escalates by the minute. Costa steals an ecstasy filled gnome from a crazy drug dealer, a midget gets thrown in the oven, lots of girls get naked, and finally crazy drug dealer comes back with a flamethrower and sets the neighborhood on fire.  Somewhere in the middle of all this mayhem Thomas has to choose between long time friend, Kirby (Kirby Bliss Blanton) and popular girl Alexis (Alexis Knapp), as his love interest. 

Sounds like a great time right? Well, it would be if Project X were a real movie. While the jokes will make you laugh at times, there isn’t a reason to care about any of the characters.  Aside from the very basic plotline, there is very little in the way of character development. In fact, most of the characters never speak. There were extras with more lines than Alexis and Kirby. 

The main character of the movie seemed to be the party itself. First time director Nima Nourizadeh, treated audiences to various clips of teens making out, throwing up, and shot-gunning beers –all to a very upbeat and danceable soundtrack, but that was pretty much it. In the end, Project X was little more than a glorified music video. 

Project X was a lot like a real party in many ways. You enjoy it while it’s happening, things get a little hazy in the middle, you wake up the next morning with little recollection of the night’s events, and then you move on with your life. 

Reach senior entertainment editor Frances Vega here.