Review: Mardi Gras: Spring Break (2011)

Director: Phil Dornfeld | 85 minutes | comedy | Actors: Nicholas D’Agosto, Josh Gad, Bret Harrison, Arielle Kebbel, Danneel Ackles, Charles Shaughnessy, Jessie O’Donohue, Becky O’Donohue, Carmen Electra, Regina Hall, Jack Betts, Mimi Cozzens, Matt Moore, Genevieve Guzchack, Eric Paulsen, J. Patrick McNamara

All movies with “Springbreak” in the title represent a particular genre. A genre that you have to love to like them. If you are a fan of a “boob flash” or “wet t-shirt competitions” then you will usually be bumped into these kinds of films. In “Mardi Gras: Springbreak” it is much of the same cloth and more of the same suit. Three student friends: a handsome (Mike), a slow nerd (Scottie) and a noisy fat guy (Bump) decide to celebrate their spring break at the world famous Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans. Bare breasts and drinking on the street, what more can one wish for? On arrival it is not easy to arrange a place to sleep, and they do not just come in at the most notorious party.

Let’s fast forward the movie. Mike finds out that he has been tricked by his girlfriend and decides to pay her back in his own coin. Of course he gets the girl at the end, but not after making himself immortally ridiculous first. Bump, a ghastly rendition of Josh Gad, throws all brakes off first and finally comes to his senses. He is explained what the Mardi Gras celebration is originally about: family and tradition. Scottie (played annoyingly slow by C actor Bret Harrison) falls in love with Carmen Electra at first sight, accidentally ends up in her hotel room, thinks in between that he is homosexual and eventually learns from Carmen herself that things are heterogeneous with the functioning of his penis, named Max. Oh yeah, and there is also a hilarious (?) Scene in the movie that involves poo.

Unfortunately, Josh Gad only looks a bit like Jack Black. It really stops there. Or is a naked, fat, flabby body and screaming for “pussy” always fun? The only bright spots in the film are the portrayals of Arrielle Kebbel (Lucy Mills), Regina Hall (Ann Marie) and Charles Shaughnessy (the hotel receptionist). And poor Carmen Electra. It is also always hitched to this kind of unsink carts. A star for the effort. We advise you to skip it, you will have much more fun with a colorful, plastic bead necklace …