Movie Review: Hotties paint the town, and avoid ComicCon “1 Night in San Diego”

Let the record reflect that Alexandra Daddario does one helluva drunk act.

The “Baywatch” (the movie) babe isn’t the headliner of “1 Night in San Diego,” but she is one of the funnier highlights of this hit-or-miss “Romy and Michelle” ladies road trip romp from the writer-director of “Just Sing.”

Jenna Ushkowitz and Laura Ashley Samuels are Hannah and Brooklyn, two East Coast friends, new to the Hollywood Hills, looking to get something going in LA.

Hannah (Ushkowitz, of “Glee!”) had a reality series in Jersey, “Parsippany Hills” something or other, and longs to “get into production.” Rich girl Brooklyn (Samuels) has set herself up as “an influencer,” and as a “Conscious Cuddling” therapist, thanks to her study of Deepak Chopra.

“His online courses are the TITS!”

Hannah needs a break from her control-freak/anger management issues boyfriend (Tanner Sarff). And Brooklyn, left swiping her way through LA, finds an answer. That gym teacher they were hot for in high school? He’s now an actor, and he’s got a show in San Diego.

Let’s go to COMIC-CON!

It is one of the unfortunate failings of “1 Night in San Diego” that producers go no permission to get within a mile of footage of anything remotely resembling that Gathering of Nerds, even to use as background color. Because “1 Night” is a short road trip, followed by a long night of bar hopping, a Fringe musical spoof of “SVU,” jail and a lot of limp misadventures that could have used a LOT more San Diego flavor, with or without Comic-Con.

“Let’s get white girl wasted!”

The script owns up to the “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion” similarities, with our two heroines varying shades of shallow and out-of-their-depth. Brooklyn has gotten by on her looks all her life, and figures that even a gay doorman will let them in the club for free.

“I LOVE the gays. All my best friends are gays. I’m practically a gay man.”

Need to break free of a stranger coming on a little too strong?

“My herpes is starting to flare up.”

There’s an old friend turned into a Matthew McConaughey impersonating stoner-guru (Eric Nelsen). Gordo has a lot of trouble talking about his didgeridoo and where it came from.

“Austria-lia?

The cast is game, but plainly not in a position to add laughs to a script that feels more workshop-ready than “locked.”

One barfight (Daddario’s moment), a random lame encounter with two Comic-Con cosplayers and a pedicab ride back to their sleazy Eastern Euro-trash budget hotel are kind of the high points.

“How long have you been a pedo?”

“That’s a very funny joke, you terrible bitch.”

You want to love it, you’re lucky if you find a few moments where “like” isn’t a stretch.

MPA Rating: unrated, alcohol abuse, sexual humor, profanity

Cast: Jenna Ushkowitz, Laura Ashley Samuels, Eric Nelsen, Kelsey Douglas and Alexandra Daddario.

Credits: Written and directed by Penelope Lawson. A 1091 release.

Running time: 1:26

About Roger Moore

Movie Critic, formerly with McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Orlando Sentinel, published in Spin Magazine, The World and now published here, Orlando Magazine, Autoweek Magazine
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