‘Joy Ride’ Puts the Pedal to the Metal, But Does It Also Deliver the Laughs?

July 6, 2023

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They love to ride. (CREDIT: Ed Araquel/Lionsgate)

Starring: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu

Director: Adele Lim

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Rating: R for Some Quick Outrageous Nudity and Non-Stop Outrageous Dialogue

Release Date: July 7, 2023 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola) have been inseparable besties since they met on the playground as kiddos. But now that they’re young adults, their lives have turned out a little differently. Audrey is a high-powered attorney, while Lolo is a struggling artist, and proud of it. When Audrey’s job sends her off to China to land a big new client (Ronny Chieng), it’s also an opportunity for her and Lolo to get in touch with their roots. Audrey was born in China and adopted by white American parents, while Lolo is a second-generation Asian American. The dynamics get a little bumpy along the way when they’re joined by Lolo’s awkward cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) and rather snippy when they’re accompanied by Audrey’s college friend Kat (Stephanie Hsu). But these ladies are so horny and outrageous that shenanigans were always going to be part of the agenda. Amidst this whirlwind, will they somehow also have time to meet Audrey’s birth mother?

What Made an Impression?: Asians Represent: Joy Ride is at its strongest when interrogating what it means to these characters to be Asian American and exist within the wider Asian cultural world in general. The endearing opening scene features Audrey’s parents (David Denman, Annie Mumolo) asking Lolo’s mom and dad if their little girl is Chinese. It’s obviously an uncomfortable question to field from random white people, until they see the little Asian girl hiding behind them. Similar fun is had when the girls land in China, and Lolo runs through a taxonomy of various Asian people, along with a harried warning not to confuse the visiting Koreans with the home citizens.
Coming in Hot: The Joy Ride crew aims for a “girls can just be as gross as the guys!” ethos, which is a valiant enough goal. But I fear that the outrageous-to-funny ratio might have been zapped up way too far in one direction. Your mileage may vary, but I found myself exhausted much more often than I was laughing. Maybe it was just a weird day for me, and perhaps the chuckles could come on a more receptive moment. Nevertheless, I appreciate the effort, and the uniqueness therein. After all, what other movie in this genre would have retired NBA All-Star Baron Davis show up as himself to save the day?
Tattoo You: While the outrageousness wasn’t always working for me in the humor department, I couldn’t help but be struck by a recurring gag about a tattoo on a very sensitive area of Kat’s anatomy. There’s constant speculation from the others about the ink’s design, and the eventual reveal certainly doesn’t flinch. How much it makes you laugh will depend on your sensibilities, but no matter what, it delivers plenty of cosmic energy.
A Sight for Sore Eyes: Joy Ride and I are on the same wavelength when it settles down and lets its character truly take stock of their situations. And in one of those moments, a familiar actor shows up in a surprise role and really brings the emotion home. I won’t spoil who exactly that is (though you can certainly look it up online if you’re happy to be teased), though I will say that this person delivers exactly what is needed with wisdom and grace.

Joy Ride is Recommended If You Like: Mining quarter-life crises for comedy, K-pop, Getting sloppy 24/7

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Tattoos

Mr. Malcolm Made a List, and I’m Reviewing it Once

June 28, 2022

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Mr. Malcolm’s List (CREDIT: Ross Ferguson/Bleecker Street)

Starring: Freida Pinto, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Zawe Ashton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, Theo James

Director: Emma Holly Jones

Running Time: 117 Minutes

Rating: PG for A Few Moments of Mild Offense

Release Date: July 1, 2022 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: It’s 1802 England, and let’s just acknowledge the truth: there are plenty of single men who would love a wife, and a lot of single ladies who would love a husband. But keeping an eye on your social standing can get in the way of that pursuit. Just ask Julia Thistlethwaite (Zawe Ashton), who has a fantastically bad first date with Jeremiah Malcolm (that’s the Mr. of the title, played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) and then just can’t stop crowing about how her reputation has been ruined. When she discovers that he has a series of qualifications that his potential brides must meet (that’s the list of the title), she concocts a scheme along with her cousin Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) wherein her financially lowly friend Selina (Freida Pinto) will perfectly embody all of Mr. Malcolm’s requirements. But then they’ll pull the ol’ switcheroo and reveal that Selina has her own list that he doesn’t live up to. Although, we’d be wise to remember that schemes like these don’t always go according to plan…

What Made an Impression?: If you’re getting major Pride and Prejudice vibes from that synopsis, then congratulations! You might just be the target audience for Mr. Malcolm’s List. It even features a marriage proposal accompanied by the promise that it will not be offered a second time! Any romantic period piece in this particular setting is going to get caught in the shadow of Jane Austen’s classic, and this example is no different. So just keep your expectations in check. If you’re not demanding one of the most influential English-language stories of all time, you should be mostly satisfied.

Now, I must say, though, there were some infuriating elements, although I reckon that maybe they were supposed to be that way. First of all, Julia Thistlethwaite is absolutely, positively, 100% ridiculous. There is zero evidence that anyone else cares about or even notices this mythical damage to her reputation. As for Mr. Malcolm, he’s a mostly all right bloke, though maybe a little too stolid. But when he discovers the truth about the scheme, he overreacts in a way that just screams “Screenwriter’s Contrivance!” Sure, he’s meant to be prideful, but I think he’s smart enough to realize that he ought to wait for an explanation.  So yeah, these bits of characterization had me going, “What’s the DEAL with that?!” But if this genre is right up your alley, then you might just be reveling in all the bothers and to-dos.

Mr. Malcolm’s List is Recommended If You Like: Pride, Colorful shirts and dresses, Making time for tea, Crunchy eaters, Prejudice

Grade: 3 out of 5 Requirements