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"Sex Drive"

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BY RAFER GUZMÁN | rafer.guzman@newsday.com

October 17, 2008

Back in 1985, "The Sure Thing" featured John Cusack as a college freshman driving cross country to have meaningless sex with a hot blonde, and Daphne Zuniga as his reluctant traveling companion. After various scrapes and misadventures, they fall in love, and our horny hero learns that mere intercourse is no substitute for real emotion.

Now you know the plot of "Sex Drive," though this far cruder teen comedy adds one modern wrinkle: the Internet. This time, Chicago-area high schooler Ian (Josh Zuckerman) trades online innuendo with Ms. Tasty (Katrina Bowden), a Knoxville bombshell who eventually invites him for a physical visit.

Along for the ride are his cocksure buddy Lance (Clark Duke, star of an Internet comedy series with Michael Cera) and his childhood friend Felicia (Amanda Crew).

Directed and co-written by Sean Anders from a novel by Andy Behrens, "Sex Drive" gets great mileage from its endearing cast. Duke is enjoyable as an oddly chubby chick-magnet, while James Marsden (the airhead prince in "Enchanted") nearly steals the show as Ian's hothead older brother. Seth Green plays a mischievous Amish farmer, and two relative newcomers (Charlie McDermott, of "Frozen River," and Mark Young) are hilarious as a pair of walking, talking hormones.

Some of the best moments come from Ian and Felicia, whose seesawing relationship nicely captures the awkwardness of adolescence. "Sex Drive" may slather on the gross-out humor, but underneath it has a heart.

PLOT A high schooler drives across country to sleep with a chat-room dream girl.

CAST Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew, Seth Green.

LENGTH 1:48

PLAYING AT Area theaters.

BOTTOM LINE Despite the crude language and body-fluid humor, this is a teen comedy with heart and charm.