Monarch Home Entertainment continues its tradition of providing semi-precious stones, such as the Unreal TV reviewed "Cowboy v. Dinosaurs," with the April 19 2016 DVD release of the 2014 Haley Joel Osment male-oriented romcom "Sex Ed."
Much of the joy of "Sex" relates to copious opportunities for jokes regarding films from early in the career of Osment. Osment's Ed Cole referring to "seeing people" is a "The Sixth Sense" softball. Cole mentioning that he used to play in a band prompting shouting "yeah; The Country Bear Jamboree" is a more subtle example of this.
Osment channels Cole from "Sense" in his portrayal of the "Sex" Cole. The film opens with a mousy (and now chubby) Cole working an almost literal McJob when a literal QB and his hot and horny girlfriend come in with a request that Cole help them engage in an earth-bound variation of the Mile High Club that involves a variation of using a Burger King onion ring for a sexual purpose.
Cole attempting to assert his authority just leads to the same form of humiliation that his younger "cousin" suffers in "Sense." This scene also establishes that Cole is a trained teacher who is unable to obtain employment in his chosen field.
The following scenes further establish Cole as a mouse who is unable to roar, but who adequately asserts himself to get a job as a detention-room instructor for ninth graders.
The primary portion of the "Sex" begins with the understated 21st century version of the new teacher arriving at school in his not-so-nice car and having his students show a lack of respect. Almost as quickly discovering that his new charges possess alarming little accurate knowledge about their changing bodies prompts Cole to begin the titular (no pun intended) course of study.
Amusing moments from this School of Cock include Cole trying to get his class to only use the clinical terms for male and female naughty bits and a longer scene in which those students practice how to respectfully communicate with the objects of their affection.
Of course, there would not be much of a movie without conflict; in this case, it is in the form of the father of a son of a preacher man who apparently believes that sex should not be taught in the home or the school. Being the doormat that he is, Cole does not put a very valiant struggle to pay it forward until he has the epiphany that is mandatory in every film of this type.
The successfully presented stereotypes continue with Cole falling in love with the 20-something sister of a student. The lad announcing the arrival of that sibling creates the fulfilled expectation of that hottie with the hunky jealous boyfriend slowly strutting toward the nottie that is Cole. Of course, this pair dates only to fight and then come to a mutually satisfactory arrangement.
The generally separate "Jack and Karen" scene-stealers are Glen Powell (who seems to have negative body fat) of "Scream Queens" and the current Richard Linklater film "Everybody Wants Some" as dim jock/horn dog/best friend JT and Retta of "Parks and Recreation" as the landlord and bar owner who befriends Cole. Retta particularly shines in a scene in which her character vomiting on a penis barely slows her down. In other words, she adheres to the treat yo self philosophy of "Parks."
Neither Osment nor anyone else associated with the film has any delusion that this is another "Sense" (or even "Secondhand Lions.") "Sex" merely is an amusing film that provides Osment a chance to play an age-appropriate role that is consistent with his "type." In fact, one of the best scenes includes a brief moment in which Osment seems to stop acting and simply is the nice sweet 20-something guy that he seems to be. This is the Cole with whom one would want to have a Philly cheese steak and play the "This was my day" game.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Sex" is encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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