Is "From Justin to Kelly" bad? Yes. Is it an atrocity? No.
My friends and I rented FJtK with the hopes of seeing one of the worst films of all time, an unintentional laugh riot that would put the stinkbombs of Mystery Science Theater 3000 to shame. Unfortunately that's not what we got.
"From Justin to Kelly" tells the story of, hey, wouldn't you know, Justin and Kelly, young hipsters who find love while partying at Spring Break. A couple wacky missteps lead to a meet cute in the girls' restroom, and after Justin loses Kelly's cell phone number he tries just about anything to win her heart, almost all with disastrous results. Will she realize he's the one for her before Spring break ends? (Take a guess...)
It sounds like a fun, simple story, right? Unfortunately the main plot thread is so flimsy there are several other stories interwoven to pad out the film, all of which focus on other characters that are more easily identified with their roles than their actual names. There's the Internet Geek, who "hilariously" keeps missing his dates with his chat room sweetie. There's the Southern Slut, who tries to sabotage Justin and Kelly's relationship but Just Wants To Be Loved. There's the Sassy Black Girl, who romances the hunky Carlos and sneaks onto the "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" set with him. Then there's the Studly Capitalist, whose get-rich-quick schemes keep getting busted by that one frigid policewoman who just might be a total hottie under that ponytail. None of these little subplots are the least bit interesting, but hey, they make Justin and Kelly's story seem that much better by comparison.
There are several reasons why this movie fails. For starters, it's a weak homage to all the beach musicals of decades past, and since it's played totally straight, scenes like Justin battling a rival for Kelly's affections in a hovercraft race are ridiculous rather than amusing. Second, the Spring Break pictured here is suspiciously free of any alcohol or "Girls Gone Wild" cameramen, and even racy activities like whipped cream bikini contests are as wholesome as apple pie, or Kelly Clarkson's image. Third, it's a bad comedy. Bad drama at least can give you some laughs, but bad comedy is just painful. Finally we come to the music, as it should be no surprise to anyone reading this that "From Justin to Kelly" was only made to capitalize on Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson's popularity after the original "American Idol." The songs are forgettable, but not groan-inducing like the ones in other bad musicals like "Grease 2." Aside from covers of "Vacation" and "That's The Way I Like it" I couldn't give you the titles of any of the songs featured. And that, to me, is what separates "From Justin to Kelly" from the other MST3K fodder; it's a waste of film, but so completely forgettable it's not worth all the fuss.
My friends and I rented FJtK with the hopes of seeing one of the worst films of all time, an unintentional laugh riot that would put the stinkbombs of Mystery Science Theater 3000 to shame. Unfortunately that's not what we got.
"From Justin to Kelly" tells the story of, hey, wouldn't you know, Justin and Kelly, young hipsters who find love while partying at Spring Break. A couple wacky missteps lead to a meet cute in the girls' restroom, and after Justin loses Kelly's cell phone number he tries just about anything to win her heart, almost all with disastrous results. Will she realize he's the one for her before Spring break ends? (Take a guess...)
It sounds like a fun, simple story, right? Unfortunately the main plot thread is so flimsy there are several other stories interwoven to pad out the film, all of which focus on other characters that are more easily identified with their roles than their actual names. There's the Internet Geek, who "hilariously" keeps missing his dates with his chat room sweetie. There's the Southern Slut, who tries to sabotage Justin and Kelly's relationship but Just Wants To Be Loved. There's the Sassy Black Girl, who romances the hunky Carlos and sneaks onto the "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" set with him. Then there's the Studly Capitalist, whose get-rich-quick schemes keep getting busted by that one frigid policewoman who just might be a total hottie under that ponytail. None of these little subplots are the least bit interesting, but hey, they make Justin and Kelly's story seem that much better by comparison.
There are several reasons why this movie fails. For starters, it's a weak homage to all the beach musicals of decades past, and since it's played totally straight, scenes like Justin battling a rival for Kelly's affections in a hovercraft race are ridiculous rather than amusing. Second, the Spring Break pictured here is suspiciously free of any alcohol or "Girls Gone Wild" cameramen, and even racy activities like whipped cream bikini contests are as wholesome as apple pie, or Kelly Clarkson's image. Third, it's a bad comedy. Bad drama at least can give you some laughs, but bad comedy is just painful. Finally we come to the music, as it should be no surprise to anyone reading this that "From Justin to Kelly" was only made to capitalize on Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson's popularity after the original "American Idol." The songs are forgettable, but not groan-inducing like the ones in other bad musicals like "Grease 2." Aside from covers of "Vacation" and "That's The Way I Like it" I couldn't give you the titles of any of the songs featured. And that, to me, is what separates "From Justin to Kelly" from the other MST3K fodder; it's a waste of film, but so completely forgettable it's not worth all the fuss.