EuroTrip

If you didn't know better — and if such things were even possible with a film like this — you'd swear the filmmakers and cast of "EuroTrip" were simply making things up as they went along.

On the other hand, an all-improvised movie would probably make more sense than this raunchy comedy, which attempts to meld the irreverence of such on-the-road pictures as "Road Trip" with the outrageousness of such sex farces as the "American Pie" movies.

Unfortunately, what you really get with the melding is incoherence. Worse, the film lacks the sweetness that made the "Pie" movies tolerable — and, at times, even appealing. There are also such ugly stereotypes (mostly Europeans) that it could drive other countries to dislike Americans more than they already do.

On the other hand, there are a few guilty-amusing moments, and it's all pretense-free, which should count for something.

Newcomer Scott Mechlowicz stars as Scott Thomas, a recent high school graduate who's afraid to take chances, which has already cost him one girlfriend (Kristin Kreuk) and now threatens a promising online relationship with a German pen pal (Jessica Boehrs).

So he heads to Europe to find her, with help from his sex-obsessed best friend Cooper (Jacob Pitts) and twin pals Jamie (Travis Wester) and Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg). None of them really have any idea what they're getting into. Predictably, the four have a series of wacky misadventures that don't further the story line but which do lead to a series of cameos by Matt Damon, Lucy Lawless, Vinnie Jones and Diedrich Bader. (Aside from Damon's goofy turn, none are funny.)

Co-screenwriter/director Jeff Schaffer does keep the pace brisk, and the cast is pretty likable. That helps, but the film may tax your tolerance for low-brow sex jokes and general silliness.

"EuroTrip" is rated R for vulgar humor regarding and references to sexual functions, nudity (female and full male), occasional use of strong sexual profanity, simulated sex and sexual contact (mostly done for laughs), violence (brawling), drug content (references to hashish use), a scene of sexual torture and use of ethnic slurs. Running time: 93 minutes.

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E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com