Mardi Gras: Spring Break (2011) User Reviews

Some funny bits, but this goes absolutely nowhere...

[Sandcooler · 4/10 · 8 February 2016]

"Mardi Gras" makes the audacious choice of putting its worst scene at the beginning: you know how sex comedies have to start with a big set piece, one huge laugh that pulls you in and never lets you go? Well, "Mardi Gras" starts with an elderly couple we'll never see again remembering their first Mardi Gras, which very predictably turns into an overly explicit conversation about sex. I've seen and heard some horrid things in this subgenre, but an elderly woman literally just describing how her husband ejaculated on her breasts, without an actual joke in sight? Not how you lure me in. It's only like a thirty- second vignette, but it easily feels like thirty minutes. Who writes this and honestly thinks he's struck gold? Oh, we'll get two elderly actors and write some sex-related words on a napkin, maybe it'll be funny by accident. It won't.

I'm glad to say that's the only cringe-inducing scene in the movie, it doesn't have laugh-out-loud moments but I got through it fairly well. "Mardi Gras" is hurt though by the fact that its plot just hobbles along. It starts of with two losers who can't get a girlfriend (not saying "boobs" in every sentence could help), then they turn on the TV and it's a report on Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So uh...let's go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans! If that's all the effort you're going to do to set this up, why not just start the movie at Mardi Gras? The lack of stakes also makes it difficult to connect: Bret Harrison was a believable nerd in "Grounded For Life", but even there he got the girl fairly quickly. We're honestly supposed to buy him as a desperate, 25-year-old virgin? Would have made a lot more sense to reserve that subplot for the obese friend who's desperately trying to be Jonah Hill. The movie quickly deteriorates into a collection of barely related sketches, which are occasionally good for a chuckle but never add anything to the meager story.

There is a saving grace though: Nicholas D'Agosto and Arielle Kebbel have a very natural style in their acting, and though their story is highly predictable it didn't really bother me. They both have likable characters, which is kind of a rarity in "American Pie" rip- offs. Hell, most of them don't even have characters. They really have great chemistry, I wish the movie didn't waste that much time in Carmen Electra's (does she ever refuse a role?) hotel room or showing not Jonah Hill naked. Come on not Jonah Hill, I'm trying to have popcorn here. "Mardi Gras" isn't a great movie, but it's not a completely brainless sex comedy either.

Teen comedy slightly over the average...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 16 November 2011]

"Mardi Gras: Spring Break" seemed to be yet another of those mass-produced teen comedies with movie covers that all look scarily similar to one another. Despite that, I decided to sit down and watch the movie.

Having seen it now, it was not as I had initially thought it to be. The movie was actually enjoyable and had a good enough storyline, though there wasn't anything new to be seen here.

There were moments in the movie where I was laughing, especially the scene in the hotel with the over-sized turd. That had me laughing so hard.

The people they had cast for the movie were actually doing quite well. Nicholas D'Agosto (playing Mike), Josh Gad (playing Bump) and Bret Harrison (playing Scottie) were having great comedy on the screen and they worked well together. It was nice to see Regina Hall (playing Ann Marie) in the movie, despite it was only for a small supporting role. Of course the name to look at in this movie was Carmen Electra (playing herself). Now, I can't say that I am a fan of her in any way, so I didn't think it was a big deal to see her in the movie. One guy that cracked me up in the movie was Charles Shaughnessy (playing Barry, the Château Clerk), he was hilarious in that role.

"Mardi Gras: Spring Break" provided good enough entertainment for an evening's worth, but I doubt that it is a movie that I will ever make a second return to watch. It was funny at moments, but the movie was not making an overly lasting impression.

If you got no other plans and want to see a comedy, "Mardi Gras: Spring Break" is well worth a watch, if you have no other movie choices at hand.

mostly flat

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 30 April 2016]

Mike Morgan (Nicholas D'Agosto) is a college guy from the northeast. His girlfriend Erica (Danneel Ackles) doesn't like his idiot friends Bump (Josh Gad) and Scottie Smith (Bret Harrison) whom he's known since high school. She's distraught after her grandfather's death. His friends convince him on a road trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. They are shocked to see Erica partying and flashing her boobs. The boys run into Carmen Electra. Mike meets Lucy Mills (Arielle Kebbel) and Bump meets local Ann Marie (Regina Hall).

This type of broad college sex comedies are getting old. Josh Gad is throwing everything at this and it feels very common. Almost everything seems flat in this one. The poop joke is so common that I actually got bored. It's not shocking anymore. The only truly fun scene for me is the boys competing against the teams of girls in the wet T-shirts. It allows the three guys to play off each other better in something a little different. Too bad, it's only one scene in a whole movie of been-there and done-that sex-romp.

8.1 - Are you kidding me??

[derhonk01 · 17 October 2011]

OK the only reason I write this review is because of the Rating here on this site. Normally I find the ratings on IMDb very reliable. Most of the time it is a good tool to differentiate good movies from crappy ones and the ratings correlate with my own taste in general. So i tend so sometimes watch movies which got a good rating on IMDb although they wouldn't appeal to me otherwise. And very often I had a pleasant surprise and found really good flicks that I wouldn't even have noticed otherwise. Not in this case. At the time I'm writing this the movie has a rating of 8.1 which is already very very good if you consider that classics like Gone with the wind or Good Will Hunting are rated equally high. So I decided to watch it solely because of the good rating and was extremely disappointed to have wasted about 90 minutes on this piece of garbage. It is a mediocre movie at the very best and I wouldn't even go that far. I have no idea how such a flick can get an 8.1. Maybe all the actors and their their entire families gave it a 10. I don't know and I don't care. My only motivation to deal with this movie a little longer than the 90 minutes it lasted is to prevent others from making the same mistake I did. So here is my review that says everything there is to say about this flick: THIS IS NOT A GOOD MOVIE. STORY AND ACTING ARE WAY BELOW AVERAGE. ITS NOT FUNNY OR VERY ENTERTAINING AND THE RATING OF 8.1 IS COMPLETELY UNDESERVED!

Stupid.

[rex-170 · 1/10 · 1 November 2011]

If you find a fat guy being rude and obnoxious towards others then this is for you. If you find a stupid guy saying completely stupid things funny, then this is for you. If you find a total loser funny then this is for you.

This was not for me.

It was awful and i highly doubt anyone giving this a good review is being sincere.

John Belushi was a class act and funny, the idiot trying to say Josh Gad is the next JB obviously hasn't watched many JB films.

Josh Gads character left me wondering why script writers think it's OK to be sexist pigs with moronic thinking in their writing.

That's my view in a nutshell with me being brutally honest about it.

Homophobic and ultimately unfunny film.

[buffylover1985 · 2/10 · 30 September 2012]

This film is purely lowest common denominator stuff. Poorly staged poop, boob and dick jokes that don't even come close to raising a chuckle. The cast put in their all, but they can not rise above the terrible script and direction. Especially embarrassed is Josh Gad who did such a fantastic job on Broadway's "Book Of Mormon" recently. The most disturbing element of this film however is the blatant ugly homophobia. Being gay is often discussed as a disgusting and negative thing. Men showing any affection towards each other is greeted with boos and anger by other characters. This whole attitude give the film a feel of something made 20 years ago. If you really want to watch a sex comedy starring Nick D'Agostino, then give this a miss and watch "Fired Up" instead.

There is nothing to distinguish this sex comedy from the copious amount of others from this genre

[callanvass · 4/10 · 1 January 2014]

Three immature college students head down to New Orleans when Mike Morgan's girlfriend Erica has a death in the family for the time of their lives. Bump refuses to take the trip seriously, Scottie has a fling with Carmen Electra. Meanwhile, Mike spots Erica in New Orleans, finding out that she was lying all along. Mike meets another beautiful woman named Lucy (Arielle Kebbel) The question is, can Mike get over Erica?

It is what it is. I love raunchy humor. American Pie, American Pie II, American Wedding, and American Reunion are hilarious comedies, as are a few others. I just don't like it when a raunchy film is made to grab a few bucks. This movie is as predictable as they come. The cast is just likable enough to make this movie tolerable. I didn't like how homophobic this movie was. I'm straight myself, but I believe in freedom of doing what you wanna do. It takes digs at gay people in general, then tries to pretentiously paint gay people in a positive light at the end, while still being discreetly crude about it. I was really incensed by it. There are some scenes that made me laugh. Ever seen a guy get raped by a banana? You'll see that in this movie, along with some hints at incest. My favorite scene involves Scottie's trouble with feces. I won't spoil it, but I literally couldn't stop laughing. It's lewd beyond belief. It provides a whole new meaning to the term "S**** hits the fan" Other than that, you get what you expect. An abundance of nudity, crudity, among other things. Josh Gad is OK. I didn't think he was that funny. He overdid it, and got on my nerves. He's the typical overweight comedic guy who does nothing but tomfoolery. Nicholas D'Agosto plays the typical goodhearted male. Females will love him. I thought he was quite good in all honesty. Bret Harrison is funny in places, annoying as others as Scottie. Arielle Kebbel is as cute as a button. Her energy and charisma help make her thin part rise above the norm. Carmel Electra & Regina Hall have roles here as well. I will admit that the finale is somewhat bravura, if a bit too conventional.

Final Thoughts: It wasn't horrible, though it wasn't very good either. You could do a lot worse, you could also do a hell of a lot better. It doesn't offer much in the way of laughs, aside from a few scenes.

4.8/10

Mardi Gras: Spring Break

[allmoviesfan · 7/10 · 23 July 2023]

Most certainly juvenile (and sometimes gross-out) fun, but fun nonetheless for a little mindless movie time. The fact that Arielle Kebbel is in it was a definite draw for me. She's great in pretty much everything she's ever been in.

Interesting that the front DVD cover bills Carmen Electra as the film's main attraction. She is the most recognisable name in the cast, for sure, but ultimately is only a bit player in the story of four college dudes on the very stereotypical road trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans for Spring Break. Of course, they're going there largely to get with girls. As you probably gathered.

The gross-out gags are plentiful, but, also, they are balanced by the scenes that show genuine heart. Kind of the American Pie way of doing things, tried and true.

(I liked that the film spotlighted the real Mardi Gras as well)

This does have a few scenes that will give you a chuckle but not enough to make it worth watching

[kevin_robbins · 4/10 · 19 March 2022]

Mardi Gras: Spring Break (2011) is a movie I recently watched on Amazon Prime. The storyline follows a group of friends at Penn State that decide to venture off together one last time for Spring Break in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Fortunate for them they keep running into Carmen Electra, unfortunate for them nothing they planned for New Orleans goes as planned...

This movie is directed by Phil Dornfeld (Guilty Hearts) and stars Nicholas D'Agosto (Gotham), Josh Gad (Frozen), Regina Hall (Girls Trip), Carmen Electra (Scary Movie), Danneel Ackles (Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay) and Arielle Kebbel (The Grudge 2).

The storyline for this picture has an American Pie/newer National Lampoons feel to it. The comedic content actually has a few good moments and Gad is pretty funny throughout. The initial nude party invite scene, the fan/poop combo sequence and the wet t-shirt contest were pretty good...but the float ending was super cheesy and painful to watch unfold.

Overall this does have a few scenes that will give you a chuckle but not enough to make it worth watching. I would score this a 3.5/10 and recommend skipping it.

A Really Good Time, if your under 25.

[jason-duffin · 6/10 · 8 October 2012]

I'd like to think of myself as a veteran of these types of films, I am only 18, but I have seen the majority of the movies in this genre, from American pie to roadtrip, animal house to old school and vandwilder to the hangover.

Mardi Gras: Spring Break is a real solid effort and an enjoyable film. It me be a B grade straight to DVD film but don't let this turn you off. If you are into College party, teen sex and crude comedy then you should enjoy this film. The acting is surprisingly good, the story may not be original but is still interesting and familiar to a younger crowd, I can't really think of a negative thing to say about this movie but I will say its not the best movie like this but its definitely not bad.

If you feel like getting pumped for going out and partying or are just a long time fan of party movies then I would definitely recommend Mardi Gras: Spring Break.

Harsh First Review

[kjones20-900-931688 · 9/10 · 17 October 2011]

I too visited IMDb before viewing this movie, and watched it based on it's rating. I was NOT disappointed. By all means, it's not an 8.1, but it was fun to watch (personally speaking) Films like these have been done to the death, American teens on vacation somewhere, and hilarious events occur. OK, so the occurring events are not side-splitting funny, but they're not dull either. I found the characters to be fresh, and Carmen Electra is always a welcome addition in my eyes.

Think American Pie, Superbad etc. Granted, this film does not have the same wow factor as those films first did, but it's along those lines and I think the creators have done a good job.

Personally, I enjoyed this film, it's not the funniest, greatest comedy of all time, but there are a lot worse than this, and it makes you feel happy at the end.

I don't get it

[neil-476 · 6/10 · 20 June 2016]

3 juvenile college boys go to New Orleans during Mardi Gras in order to get drunk, see naked breasts, and possibly have encounters with the girls to whom they belong.

There's a bit more plot than that, but not much. This is a fairly typical gross sexist early 20s American college comedy, a little bit lower on the humour side of things than usual - it thinks it's funny, but it really isn't.

What interests me is the character Bump, played by Josh Gad. Bump is a fat, obnoxious, loud-mouthed, crass imbecile. He is supposedly funny: he isn't. But he is a character we have seen often before, starting with Jonah Hill in Superbad: Hill has gone on to have a successful career, and so has Gad. This puzzles me - perhaps America really likes fat, obnoxious, loud-mouthed, crass imbeciles, but I certainly don't.

Disgusting/Crude/Hilarious

[brandonmathieu77 · 16 October 2011]

I rented this movie not expecting much out of it, figuring it would be a typical teen sex comedy. I was very surprised with how much I got into the movie, and that I laughed out loud throughout the movie. Of course the movie had the t&a that is expected, and the fat friend who is "extreme".. but it also had some depth and you actually cared a bit about the characters. The scene in Carmen Electra's bathroom will be one you won't be forgetting, and it only gets worse as it goes along. I've never been to Mardi Gras, but I also appreciate how they tried to capture at least a bit of the essence of the event and didn't focus entirely on the alcohol, sex, and drugs side of it. All in all a very funny movie, and one I would recommend.

Love it

[rishavrattu · 10/10 · 11 December 2018]

Movie concept is different and there is lot of comedy well time spent seeing it

Not good, but not bad either.

[Chrisie_890 · 1 May 2013]

I've rated it a 5 out of 10 because it's average. On the whole it wasn't very entertaining but it did have it's comedic moment's. It was a bit confusing, in the sense that it didn't 'flow' well, a bit choppy. Some of the actors/actresses were good but the majority of them were very much below average, maybe with the right actors and a few alterations within the script it might have the potential to rate a 7-8/10 - we'll have to just wait and see whether a sequel is made and whether or not it is interesting enough to watch.

--------------------

Chrisie Wood-Hopps

Amazing

[vandeweijgertsem · 10/10 · 31 March 2018]

This movie is just an amazing comedy movie, with a lot of funny scenes. It might sometimes be a bit cheesy, but this movie just has EVERYTHING that a roadtrip/sex comedy needs.

Loved this movie

[pierreshapiro · 19 October 2011]

I usually don't like this movie genre. 3 guys going to party for a long weekend... It is a script that I have seen too many times. And boobs obsessed teenagers usually get on my nerves pretty fast. I am now 48 and I've lived a bit :)

But strangely, in this case, it works tremendously. I was attracted by the nice 8.1 rating on IMDb so I decided to give the movie a shot. I loved it! I couldn't stop laughing. The jokes were big, but efficient. Plus for the first time, I had this Animal House feeling. We are in front of a great film, not just a party film. It was intended to make you laugh and it will. I can't wait to see Josh Gad in a new movie. He might just be the next John Belushi we all are waiting for. Laughing is a very good exercise and I had the feeling I came from the gym after watching this film...

Quirky typical raunchy comedy but it's fun

[ccriswell-14392 · 8/10 · 4 January 2024]

Typical movie of this genre, but I found it fun and the end is endearing. Along the lines of American Pie, at least this one has some funny scenes and an ok story line. Worth a watch if you're into movies like Grandmas Boy and Harold and Kumar but want a different comedy cast and a not as cringey movie. There are cringe moments, but the movie itself overall is fun. The movie is set during Marti Gras and there some mardi gras beads being thrown about, so expect to see some breasts. Carmen Electra is also in the movie along with Regina Hall. The film is littered with raunchy jokes, so if you're easily offended this is probably not the right movie for you. There are also scenes with vomit and other body excrements. I'd watch this again if I were bored and needed a background movie I can tune into here and there and catch a funny moment.