Because Mailing a Sex Tape Wasn’t Enough

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MOVIE REVIEW
Road Trip (4KUHD)
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Genre: Comedy
Year Released: 2000, Kino Lorber 4K 2025
Runtime: 1h 34m
Director(s): Todd Phillips
Writer(s): Todd Phillips, Scot Armstrong
Cast: Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, Amy Smart, Tom Green, Fred Ward, DJ Qualls, Rachel Blanchard, Paulo Costanzo, Anthony Rapp, Andy Dick, Horatio Sanz, Ethan Suplee, Edmund Lyndeck, Marla Sucharetza
Where to Watch: available June 24, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: Ah, the year 2000 was when your biggest concern was whether your frosted tips were even and if someone had accidentally mailed your sex tape across the country (I was graduating high school.) ROAD TRIP was not for prestige cinema; it aimed for that awkward humor, and maybe make you just a little uncomfortable. With this new 4K restoration from Kino Lorber (an odd, but welcome choice), the movie that once lived on worn-out DVD shelves next to AMERICAN PIE and VAN WILDER now gets a glow-up.

The premise is almost too simple: college guy Josh (played by Breckin Meyer, the human embodiment of a midterm panic attack) cheats on his long-distance girlfriend and accidentally mails the evidence to her in Texas. His only hope? A frantic road trip from New York to intercept the tape before it arrives. What follows is a chaotic, testosterone-soaked adventure filled with snakes, sketchy motels, broken cars, and a healthy dose of questionable decisions. But it’s not about the destination but the wildly inappropriate detours.

Regarding chemistry, ROAD TRIP gets by on sheer, frantic energy. Seann William Scott plays yet another guy who thinks shirts are optional and common sense is overrated. DJ Qualls makes his big-screen debut as the awkward yet weirdly lovable Kyle, and Tom Green exists in his own absurd universe, narrating the story while simultaneously derailing it.

It’s clear that Todd Phillips, who later went on to direct everything from OLD SCHOOL to JOKER (yes, really), was still fine-tuning his signature brand of frat-boy chaos here. ROAD TRIP doesn’t have the bite of his later work, but it does have a juvenile sincerity that makes it weirdly enduring. It’s the cinematic equivalent of sneaking into a party you weren’t invited to—loud, messy, but undeniably memorable.

The 4K UHD presentation here is way nicer than anyone expected. Kino Lorber pulled from the original 35mm negative, and the new Dolby Vision transfer gives the film a nostalgic crispness that feels like someone invaded your teenage memories. The colors pop, the grime looks intentional, and every regrettable fashion choice from 2000 is preserved in crystal clarity. You haven’t truly experienced ROAD TRIP until you’ve seen Tom Green’s facial expressions in ultra high definition.

The bonus features add some worthwhile bang for your buck. There's a new commentary track by Joe Ramoni from Hats Off Entertainment, who brings a mix of trivia, humor, and loving sarcasm that fits perfectly with the film’s tone. The theatrical and unrated versions are included, along with deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and even a music video from Eels—because nothing says “college hijinks” like Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues blasting in the background.

Of course, watching ROAD TRIP today, it’s clear some of the jokes are dated, and others just plain fall flat. A few gags might make modern audiences cringe more than chuckle. Still, there’s a goofy honesty to it all—this isn’t a film trying to offend as much as it’s trying to be the class clown. Sure, it crosses lines, but it’s usually too dumb to know it did.

It also helps that there’s a layer of sweetness under the nonsense. The movie’s not trying to reinvent the wheel—it's just joyriding on four bald tires and hoping for the best. There’s a heart underneath the thongs and fire hazards; somehow, it shines through all the absurdity.

ROAD TRIP is a comedy time capsule. It’s brash, stupid, and occasionally clever. It reminds you of a specific era in teen comedy where emotional growth was optional. This Kino Lorber release treats it with more care than the movie ever treated its characters— honestly, that’s half the fun.

So if you're feeling nostalgic for the days when comedies were loud, rude, and unfiltered—or if you're just wondering what a pre-HANGOVER Todd Phillips’ style was like before he went full “serious filmmaker”—this is the trip worth taking. Don’t blame us if you come out of it quoting Tom Green for the next week.

And yes, the snake lives. Probably. Maybe.

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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