One of the funniest R-rated comedies in recent history, Joy Ride is now available on Blu-ray to own. Led by an all-Asian cast that features Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Everything Everywhere All at Once standout Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu, the film delivers equal measures of raunchy comedy and heartwarming friendship. While I enjoyed the movie in theaters, I found it even funnier after a rewatch.
“The hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audrey’s (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin,” says the synopsis. “Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.”
While there are some great supporting performances from Baron Davis and Daniel Dae Kim, it’s the chemistry of the core cast that makes Joy Ride so fun. While Park mostly plays the straight woman — which makes it all the more fun when her wild side comes out — it’s the over-the-top nature of Cola and Hsu’s characters that get to have a ton of fun from start to finish. From vagina tattoos to penis art, nothing is deemed too raunchy to be covered and it all delivers some hearty laughs.
However, there’s a surprising amount of heart in Joy Ride, which was really underlined upon my rewatch. While it can get a bit lost in the debauchery, there’s a touching and genuine story about identity, friendship, and self-growth. Kim’s brief performance in a particularly touching scene really shines, while the feel-good ending is a real crowd-pleaser, even if you’ve if seen it before. These thematic elements really make Joy Ride rewatchable, even though the jokes naturally lose a bit of the shock factor on revisit.
Joy Ride comes with quite a few worthwhile special features, with around 30 minutes of intriguing featurettes going into the creative process. Beyond the cast, we get to hear from director Adele Lim, the screenwriters, and producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. There are a lot of great stories shared, such as how they never thought the movie was going to get made while writing it. The included footage shows how much fun the cast had while making it. Other bonuses include a short deleted scene, plus green screen footage of the cast doing their “WAP” choreography and a sing-along version of the performance from the movie. It’s all fun and worth checking out.
Joy Ride Review: The Final Verdict
Joy Ride is hilarious, and I have an even greater appreciation for Lim’s directorial debut after checking out the special features and giving it a second watch. While the comedy lands, it’s the heart of the movie that gives it staying power. It’s great to see bold comedies being made, and Joy Ride is a great example of how a raunchy riot can come complete with a heart of gold.
Disclosure: The publisher sent us a copy for our Joy Ride Blu-ray review.
