Joy Ride – A Fun Yet Formulaic Raunchy Comedy (Early Review)

There was a time when studio comedies were a consistently reliable source of income at the box office. While comedies may not utilize the magnitude of the big screen to the degree of other genres, there was a certain magic to going to the cinemas to watch a film designed to make audiences laugh. There’s never been a shortage of quality comedies, especially within the independent scene, but studio comedies have been in a rough place for the past decade, both quality wise and from a financial standpoint. 

With the pandemic severely impacting the industry to a degree that still lingers today, many studios have opted to release their comedies on streaming services rather than in theatres. The few studio comedies that have gone the theatre route haven’t had much success. R-rated comedies in particular seem to be faring much better on streaming than in theatres, with the crushing box office failure of Bros being the most glaring example. 

Despite the financial failure of Bros and many other similar films within the past year, it seems like not every studio has given up on the idea that studio comedies can be big box office draws. The Jennifer Lawrence led No Hard Feelings has been performing relatively well in comparison to the aforementioned films, but is is Joy Ride, Adele Kim’s directorial debut, that is pegged to be the comedy hit of the summer and rejuvenate interest in the genre. 

Joy Ride stars Ashley Park and Sherry Cola as Audrey and Lolo. Adopted and raised by two white parents, Audrey was the only Asian-American kid in the neighborhood, until Lolo arrived. Despite their very different personalities and lifestyles, the two instantly become best friends. While Audrey works at a successful law firm, Lolo is a free-spirited artist with no direction in life. When the former is given the opportunity to represent her firm in Beijing, she brings Lolo along as a translator. Due to worries that Lolo’s unfiltered demeanor may jeopardize her chance at a promotion, Audrey also invites her former college roommate turned soap opera star Kat (Hsu) as a backup translator, much to Lolo’s dismay. Rounding out the group is Deadeye (Wu), Lolo’s socially awkward, K-Pop obsessed cousin, who ends up tagging along at the last minute. When Audrey’s business meeting doesn’t go as planned and her heritage is questioned, the group embarked on a journey through China to find her birth mother. 

Since The Hangover and Bridesmaids dominated the box office in the late 2000s/early 2010s, there have been countless films copying that formula beat for beat, with varying levels of success. Unfortunately, Joy Ride falls into this camp. While its diverse cast and compelling narrative regarding around ethnicity do help it stand out from the pack, the film is extremely predictable and doesn’t veer away too much from that aforementioned formula. Meanwhile, the writing is fairly inconsistent and doesn’t always rise to the level of what its talented cast and director bring to the table. Though it does feature some genuinely hilarious moments, it also contains many running gags that overstay their welcome. 

In spite of its issues, Joy Ride remains consistently entertaining due to its energetic direction and strong performances across the board. Park is the MVP, bringing a certain level of gravitas to a role that would be far surface level if played by anyone else. She nails the comedic moments, but its her ability to pull off raunchy comedy and genuine heart that makes her stand and elevate the material around her. Cola, Hsu and Wu may not bring that same level of emotional depth, but they all still deliver charismatic performances and have infectious chemistry.

In the end, while its not quite the knockout that the buzz surrounding it suggested it would be, Joy Ride is still an entertaining raunchy comedy with a great cast that showcases why studio comedies should be seen in a theatre.

still courtesy of Lionsgate

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Tristan French