Ready or Not (2009)

Director:

Sean Doyle

Writers:

Sean Doyle (writer)
Travis Kurtz (writer)

Release Date:

2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Ready to take the next step?

Plot:

Four college buddies find themselves on the adventure of their lives, when on the morning after a Las Vegas bachelor party...

Cast

Christian Oliver	...	Chris
Seamus Dever	...	Marc
Evan Helmuth	...	Lawrence
Jonathan Murphy	...	Dean
Alex Rocco	...	Don Julio
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ange Billman	...	Rebecca
Andrea Bogart	...	Kelly
Juliana Dever	...	Maid of Honor
Leah Elias	...	Gretchen
Jessika Fuhrmaneck	...	Raven
Leslie Garza	...	Model (as Leslie Garza Rivera)
Janet Lopez	...	Dancer
Odessa Rae	...	Coco
Steve Railsback	...	Pilot
Marco Rodríguez	...	Pedro
Fernanda Romero	...	Puri
Ray Santiago	...	Nacho
Cindy Vela	...	Dancer
Jordi Vilasuso	...	The Matador

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Chabo Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When the four are walking over the graveyard in Mexico, you can see a Mexican man in the back while they are supposed to be a long way from civilization.

I almost wish this happened to me

IMDb's plot description makes it sound like a cheap cartoonish college romp with grossout humor, ala American Pie or Without a Paddle, but this is really nothing of the sort.

This movie is a relentless adventure from beginning to end. It hits the ground running with 4 guys at a wild Vegas bachelor party (with basically no introductions, you learn about these people through the story). Things go wrong, and soon they're running around Mexico in tuxedos (it's more fun if I don't tell you how they got there), trying to get home in time for the wedding, with no money, continuing to party while simultaneously debating the merits of marriage versus bachelorhood all the way through.

Despite that plot, which IS a pretty accurate description of what you're seeing most of the time, this is actually a rather adult coming-of-age exploration with realistic characters. They're in a collective transition between keggers and picket fences, that depressing era in life when you're either getting married or watching your friends do so, a readily identifiable situation for almost anyone. The true depth of that perilous time is felt and explored almost completely. These guys could easily be your real-life friends, and a couple wrong turns at a wild enough party might even land you in a similar situation.

Yes, this film is equal parts humor and serious reflection. It's got depth and morals, but a surprise around every turn. You really won't have a clue what's coming next, which makes you feel like you're experiencing the adventure along with them.

I could've done without the cornball ending. The story turns in on itself, deus-ex-machina style, betraying its adventurous spirit. The adventure really would've worked better at face value, but oh well.

It's a lot of fun, it's thought-provoking, and it stays with you. It's also a great production, with acting, directing, and camera work that all seem to be top-notch. I haven't looked into the film's actual level of "independence", so to speak, but to me it looked worthy of big-budget Hollywood. The writing was great too, with the possible exception of that ending which I already complained about. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this and it never left me bored. A superb film in my humble opinion.

If you revel in the feeling of not knowing what's coming next, and if you find yourself pondering life's journey from time to time, I think you'll enjoy this.