Boxboarders! is a movie that models itself on extreme sports from ESPN and the X-Games. The tongue-in-cheek approach from writer-director Rob Hedden is hilarious, and his lead stars, Austin Basis and James Immekus are the crazy glue that makes this whole movie stick. This is a sports movie with loads of comedy that will appeal to the young at heart. Watch as two slackers accidentally invent a new sport called… Boxboarding!
Imagine what Wayne’s World’s Wayne and Garth must’ve been like before they hit their 20s and you’ll have a good idea of the chemistry between James James (Basis) and Ty (Immekus). This buddy comedy is loaded with adventure in a thrill-seeking plot that’s always trying to out the fun. There are very little consequences in this wreckless low budget take on extreme sports. The tone is teenage Jackass, but Boxboarders! is a treat for everyone with a sense of humour. The young cast do an excellent job in conveying the typical characters in a teenage comedy with just the right amount of bitchiness and bravado. Boxboarders! keeps excellent balance when it comes to boxboarding and entertainment. The film is shot handheld style like a documentary with inserts from each character’s background. The interview style is engaging and quickly catches us up to speed with the two anti-heroes in their mission to found a new sporting phenomenon. Everyone has their agenda in this adventure for the underdog, and it definitely has echoes of films like Hot Rod.
The comedy involves plenty of situational, physical and weirdo scenarios. The comedy borders risky, but is just offensive enough to be palatable. Okay, that may not make sense now, but you’ll have a clearer understanding once you’ve watched the movie. On first inspection James appears to be smoking a joint in the boxboard. Now this would have elevated this little gem to cult status amongst the stoners, but it’s a firework - which makes a worthy substitute with some cheap gore tactics. The tone of this film is spot on… and it keeps firing on all cylinders right over the finish line. It combines the bravado of college day floats and box car celebrations with the story of the skateboard and teenage angst. This is a cool mix and the movie always remains upbeat and enjoyable. You may not appreciate all the comic moments, but it certainly extends itself beyond its means. The main criticism is that the in-the-box moments become a bit claustrophobic and detached from the long action shots. While the shoestring budget cramps moments from being bigger and even better. If you’re looking for a light-hearted romp that plays by the rules (with a few speed bumps for good measure), then you can’t go wrong with Boxboarders!.
The bottom line: Jack-out-the-box.
