The Stream: Random story elements could have been left out.

The Big Screen: Multiple hilarious sequences delivered by a strong cast.

The Final Bill: Raunchy comedy brings the zany energy and quick zingers.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Adele Lim
Writers: Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao; story by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Teresa Hsiao, and Adele Lim
Stars: Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R for language, drug use, sexual content
Runtime: 1 hour 29 minutes
Production Companies: Lionsgate, Point Grey Pictures
Platform: In theaters July 7, 2023
Notable Trailers: Expend4bles, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Hey, Streamers! Let’s face it, during the summer, we just want to be cool and have fun. That’s why it’s great that there is another raucous comedy in theaters. Joy Ride is the feature film debut of director Adele Lim, who previously wrote Crazy Rich Asians. This movie is one of those raunchy comedies about a group of friends going on a trip and getting into various hijinks like Girls Trip or The Hangover. Here’s whether there’s any joy in this wild ride.

Joy Ride follows Audrey (Ashley Park), an overachieving lawyer, who was adopted and raised by white parents. She has a childhood friend, Lolo (Sherry Cola), who is Chinese and raised by her bio-parents. Audrey is tasked by her law firm to go to China to close a business deal, and she plans to take Lolo with her on the trip to help translate. Audrey and Lolo are joined on this adventure by Lolo’s K-Pop-loving cousin, Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), and Audrey’s college best friend, Kat (Stephanie Hsu), who is a famous actress in China. As Audrey tries to close the business deal with the hard-partying, Chao (Ronny Chieng), she is forced to think about her identity as an adopted Asian-American and where she fits in the culture. Body-tattoo and drug-fueled hijinks ensue.

If you are looking for a raunchy, balls-to-the-wall comedy, then Joy Ride should hit the spot for you. As most comedies go, not every joke lands, but this movie is consistently funny and easy to enjoy. A lot of the credit has to go to this cast, who are able to do the most ridiculous things and find humor in small moments. Even though there are broad comedic sequences, the dialogue allows the characters to spar with each other and deliver smart and funny one-liners. There’s great physical comedy as well. In these movies, you expect vomit, drugs, and sex; and you get them all in clever and silly configurations. Each cast member gets their moment to shine. I particularly liked Stephanie Hsu’s characterization of Kat.

My only quibble with this movie is that I think the focus of the main plot is misplaced. This isn’t a huge problem, but I have to mention that the storyline about the business deal seems superfluous. The movie is really about Audrey’s journey to connect with her Chinese heritage, and that thread is emotional and interesting enough that the stakes regarding her job are unnecessary. The friendships evolve as the characters support Audrey and find themselves. This emotional core is what sets Joy Ride apart from other movies like it.

Ultimately, Joy Ride is that hard-hitting, raunchy comedy you expect and it has a heart. The cast has great chemistry and there is strong dialogue that allows them to bounce off each other. Although the main plot is something you’ve seen before, the theme about identity, culture and finding where you belong is important but not preachy. You’ll laugh and have a good time throughout. Grab a big box a popcorn on your trip to the theater.