Finally, a film this summer with the joy of Crazy Rich Asians and the raunchy absurdity of a Judd Apatow comedy or Bridesmaids or The Hangover. Why not? Because Joy Ride is produced by Seth Rogan, who knows absurd raunch, and directed by CRA’s writer, Adele Lim.
The four stars of the film (Ashley Park as Audrey, Sherry Cola as Lolo, Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, and Stephanie Hsu as Kat) set out on a journey to Asia to help Audrey the lawyer do a job to guarantee her promotion and ultimately find her birth mother. The acerbic Lola goes to help her best bud, Audrey, who doesn’t know Mandarin and Lola does. Deadeye has serious K-pop knowledge, and Kat, now a China screen star, is engaged to an attractive but very Christian co-star (Desmond Chiam).
Holding the chaos in check, Audrey, who orchestrates most of the comedy while retaining her laughably prim attorney vibe, is in a role easily evocative of Kristen Wig’s in Bridesmaids. Deadeye plants the film firmly in the current gender identity arena.
Along the way they joke about both Asian and American stereotypes with the joie de vivre of healthy young women having a little fun far away from political correctness and decorum. Perhaps the best of the wildness comes in a reworking of the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion big hit, “WAP.” Catchy and inventive, that song has legs.
Amid the off-color jokes and absurd sexual situations is a theme of finding out who you are amidst the cultural pulls of Asia and America. Stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans are rampant with attending laughs—nothing is off bounds for this satire.
The genius of Joy Ride is the consistently funny, ribald dialogue
(Kat says, “My vagina is the devil and she's here to stay!”)
and rapid set ups that are hilarious and culturally relevant. Watch the Asian response when a family has a group hug: “White People.”
Enjoy your summer by starting out with this satisfying international work of comedic art.
Joy Ride
Director: Adele Lim ( Crazy Rich Asians)
Screenplay: Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Teresa Hsiao (both TV Family Guy)
Cast: Debbie Fan, Kenneth Liu (Sight)
Run Time: 1h 35m
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts NPR’s It’s Movie Time and hosts Cinema Classics as well as podcasts Back Talk and Double Take out of WCBE 90.5 FM. Contact him at JohnDeSando52@gmail.com
