Down to You

Reviewing a Freddie Prinze, Jr., romantic comedy seems about as futile as reviewing a James Bond movie, since they're going to keep cranking them both out no matter what, but here goes. Strike 1: the film's opening credits are backed by incredibly bad sub-grunge alternacrap. Strike 2: at least half of the movie is told in flashback from a coffee shop, presumably because someone at the studio heard that Starbucks is where the hip kids hang out these days. Strike 3: Prinze opens the movie by talking to the camera, a maneuver that continues throughout the film. Need we go on? The best moment in this entire plot-free movie consists of Prinze lying on the floor talking to a spider named Owen. Somewhere, buried deep within the inane banter that is the screenplay, lies the germ of a seed of a good idea about trying to have as much fun as possible while one is young, and the fear of aging. Too bad writer-director Kris Isacsson seems more interested in trying to wring humor from a character named "Jim Morrison" who acts and talks like Jim Morrison, or another guy who's aspiring to become the world's first Shakespearean porn star. Prinze, as usual, reacts to any stimulus with his trademark "what-the-heck's-going-on-here?" grin, and has an occasional tendency to affect a Humphrey Bogart-style voice for no apparent reason. Love interest Julia Stiles is gorgeous and has perfect hair, but no chemistry with Prinze; these apparent soul mates manage to maintain the awkwardness of a first date even while supposedly living together. At one point, directly after he has been dumped by his true love, Prinze's big reaction is to turn to us and go "Okay. . . that really sucked." My sentiments exactly.