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Premature DVD Review

     Actors: John Karna, Craig Roberts, Alan Tudyk
  • Director: Dan Beers
  • Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: R (Restricted)
  • Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
  • DVD Release Date: November 4, 2014
  • Run Time: 90 minutes



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            Premature is a predictably typical sex comedy in nearly every way, with the exception of the time loop narrative that makes it resemble Groundhog’s Day or The Edge of Tomorrow for a high school virgin. And even the use of a time loop somehow does little to motivate originality in the screenplay, which is content to re-use the same vulgar gag repeatedly as the only source of entertainment within the film. Characters are little more than props for the repeat sex jokes and predictable outcomes, with female characters sketched out in a two-dimensional manner to fit into the male fantasy.

     

            High school senior Rob (John Karna) has an important day at school, which has nothing to do with the reasons that he inexplicably keeps repeating the same day. Rob has an important college interview that he is randomly doing in the office of his high school, and it never seems to go well regardless of how many opportunities he has. Although the college interview is what makes this day important, it is Rob’s inability to control his premature ejaculation that seems to control the time loop. Every time he ejaculates prematurely, the day starts over with a wet dream and the opportunity to successfully have sex. What does this have to do with the college interview? Absolutely nothing. And this is why the film feels contrived and disjointed between each gag, which are primarily focused on Rob’s various orgasms.

     

            This may have been a solid premise had the film worked a bit harder to avoid the predictable narrative traps of a typical sex comedy, but it includes all of the cliché elements. There is a sex symbol high school girl that looks like she walked right out of a Girls Gone Wild video (played by Carlson Young), whose interest in Rob is questionable at best, and on the opposite end of the spectrum is Rob’s longtime best friend, Gabrielle (Katie Findlay). Even though Gabrielle and Rob have always been plutonic, it is evident from the first five minutes of the film that he will inevitably choose her over his own lust.

     

            Sex comedies don’t need to be unpredictable, but they should have something to make the viewing experience more enjoyable. With two derivative narratives crammed together into one predictable mess, the story offers little to get excited about. The dialogue is mildly amusing, but even the one-liners are sadly lacking in creativity. And those who anticipate a vast amount of bare flesh to help the plot along will also find themselves flaccid with disappointment. Somehow Premature manages to be completely misogynistic in the representation of most (if not all) female characters, while simultaneously being prudish in the presentation of their positions as sex symbols.  

     

            The DVD special features include a commentary track with co-writer/director Dan Beers, along with cast/crew interviews, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and an alternate ending. There is also a trailer.

     

    Entertainment Value: 7/10

    Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

    Historical Significance:  4/10

    Special Features: 6.5/10

     

     

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