It may seem odd that I hated National Lampoon's European Vacation for the same reason I like Eurotrip, the new DreamWorks comedy, so much. However, I can explain. I found the former to be a charmless, dreadful excursion into digging up every tired European stereotype in the book and exploiting them for the cheapest laughs possible. But I laughed myself silly at the same thing in Eurotrip -- perhaps because the latter film isn't as mean in its jokes and not only exaggerates European cliches but also pokes fun at the American tourists. Eurotrip works as something of an equalizer, bringing both sides of the coin down to the same level, allowing viewers to sit back and laugh while good-hearted jabs are aimed at clashing cultures.

Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) had it all, a high school graduate with a budding medical career and a knockout for a girlfriend. But then his sweetheart dumped him (for a rocker who makes fun of Scotty through song, no less), and everything came crashing down for our play-it-safe hero. To top that off,
Scotty's just learned that his German pen-pal Mieke (Jessica Boehrs) is really a fetching fraulein, a fact he should've found out before he mistook her come-ons as the signs of an Internet predator and cut off contact completely. Convinced that Mieke is the love of his life, Scotty sees no other choice but to fly to Berlin, find Mieke, and express his feelings to her
face-to-face.

Thus begins Scotty's European odyssey, trekking from England to Paris and Amsterdam to Bratislava, encountering soccer hooligans, creepy Italians, and the most uncomfortable sex club on the planet with sex-starved best friend Cooper (Jacob Pitts) and twin siblings Jenny and Jamie (Michelle Trachtenberg and Travis Wester) in tow.

Eurotrip plays like an American Pie sequel sans the "relations" with pastry. Some of the situations the characters find themselves in are a bit tired, but most of the scatological jokes actually work, inciting laughs instead of falling dead in the water. Eurotrip comes with a jovial spirit that guides
the teens from comedic set piece to comedic set piece at an easygoing pace, never overdoing a joke until the point it crosses over from hilarious to mean.

Like the more successful comedies, Eurotrip makes light of what the characters get themselves into but not of the characters themselves; they may all be regurgitations of teen movie cliches (the too-innocent hero, the loud best friend, etc.), but on the whole, they're a likable troupe whose excursion into European culture revolves around taking advantage of England's drinking age and fighting French street performers. Celebrating the fact that there are stereotypical characters no matter what continent you're on, Eurotrip gets a few good laughs in the process. 

The bulk of the jokes are running gags that come and go but nevertheless make a hilarious impression while they're on display. Bona fide tough guy Vinnie Jones evokes laughter as  the leader of a group of British soccer fans who use every other breath to curse someone out. And so does "Saturday Night Live" newbie Fred Armisen with his portrayal of an Italian who gets a too cozy with our heroes on a train ride, a climax that involves the election of a highly unlikely new Pope, and, best of all, Cooper's visit to Club Vandersexxx, a trip he soon learns to regret (saying anything more would ruin the hilarious spontaneity of this  scene).

Sure, once in a while Eurotrip grows a little tiresome with the "goofy Europeans, cultureless Americans" schtick. And,  aside from Michelle Trachtenberg, who's come a long way since Harriet the Spy (yes, my mindset is still set to 1996), none of the main actors are particularly memorable. They're  easily outdone by the array of celebs pitching in cameo appearances (including Jones, Matt Damon as a punk rocker, and Lucy Lawless as a madam in Club Vandersexxx). But the humor that does score laughs comes at a consistent rate, giving the viewers the matinee admission's worth of  profanity, sex jokes, and seemingly nonstop partying.

Eurotrip, touted as a film from the makers of Road Trip and Old School (even though there's limited involvement of personnel from both films), is in the same comic vein as those popular comedies. If you enjoyed them, chances are you'll also have a great time with this goofy little flick. 

MY RATING: *** (out of ****)

(Released by DreamWorks and rated "R" for sexuality, nudity, language and drug/alcohol content.)

Review also appears on www.ajhakari.com.