Eurotrip

The majority of films that critics describe as offensive, from Porky's to Falling Down, have one thing in common: they are usually very entertaining. This is, I suspect, one reason why we find them upsetting, as they succeed in engaging us despite our unease at the subject matter.

Eurotrip is the latest from the producers of Road Trip and is a similarly crass teenage sex comedy. A summary of the plot would suggest this ought to be a deeply offensive film, but it's so badly produced that it fails to generate any reaction at all.

The story, such as it is, concerns four American teenagers who take a trip to Europe looking for sex and adventure, but find only crude stereotypes: goosestepping Germans, gay Italians and English football hooligans, led of course by comedy antidote Vinnie Jones.

There are some amusing moments, including an energetic cameo by Matt Damon, but nothing that raises much more than a chuckle. The film's best joke is actually off-screen, in the production notes, where Vinnie Jones is described as "a world-class soccer player." Now that's offensive.