Sundown

The only saving grace of this raunchy teen comedy is Devon Werkheiser, an engaging young actor who stars as Logan, a decent-enough high school kid whose obsession with becoming an electronic dance music DJ—along with his penchant for disappointing his parents—has put a strain on his home life. His real problem, however, is his best friend Blake (Sean Marquette), a manipulative oaf who is constantly egging Logan on to reckless actions, such as taking a prized Porsche out for a drive. Logan is asked to prove his reliability by keeping the house safe during his parents' vacation, including safeguarding a Rolex watch that is a family heirloom. Of course, Blake instead persuades him to go to Mexico, and he foolishly takes the watch along. Naturally, the trip turns into a disaster, especially after the watch is purloined by a lovely hooker. The subsequent quest to retrieve the timepiece will involve the thief's crime-boss pimp, as well as a motor-mouthed cabbie who is also a consummate hustler, and a cross-dresser who is primarily on hand for some casually homophobic farce. Still, Werkheiser's natural nice-guy persona might have made this unsavory brew tolerable were it not for Marquette, who all too persuasively portrays the teen ugly American at his very worst. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (35 min.), deleted scenes (14 min.), trailers, and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a horribly grating would-be comedy.] (F. Swietek)