Here's a high concept film for you: a dystopian
future where violent street gangs battle to the death in high stakes games of Dance Dance Revolution. That's the basic
premise behind The FP, which takes
its name from Frazier Park, an unincorporated community in California and about
an hour east of Los Angeles. Once used as a location for The Waltons, Frazier Park looks as if it was trapped in a bubble of
frozen time and untouched by the outside world.
The FP has a
similar feel to it where you're never quite sure if it's set in the past,
present or future. In any event, two rival gangs, the 245s and the 248s, fight
for control of the small town by competing in a fast-paced interactive arcade
game called Beat Beat Revelation. For
the uninitiated, the game involves matching your moves on a dance pad with the
arrows on the screen. The heroic BTRO (Brandon Barrera) of the 248s tragically
dies while taking on L Double E (Lee Valmassy), the leader of the 245s. BTRO's
brother, the eye-patch wearing JTRO (Jason Trost), mourns his death and vows to
never again play Beat Beat Revelation.
A year later, JTRO is convinced to return to the fold by
former 248-mate, KCDC (Art Hsu). In an inspired bit of lunacy, KCDC explains
that the 245s have taken over the town's entire alcohol supply, forcing many to
resort to drugs. Without alcohol, there are no bums in the FP and without bums;
there is nobody to feed the ducks by the pond. And what is a community when you
have no ducks? JTRO must train his mind, body, and soul with guru BLT (Nick
Principe) to get ready for his climactic showdown against L Double E to see who
will be champ or chump. At the same time, JTRO romances his long-time crush,
Stacy (Caitlyn Folley), who has shacked up with his hated archenemy.
The FP is quite
clear where its influences lie. The
Warriors is one of the most obvious since the movie opens with voiceover
narration by James Remar. John Carpenter is another strong influence with the
protagonist resembling a baby-faced Snake Plissken. Composer George Holdcraft
does a splendid job approximating a Carpenter-esque synthesizer score as well
as the J-pop techno music synonymous with the game. JTRO's road to redemption
and his struggles against taunting bad guys comes right out of Rocky and The Karate Kid. The FP even
features two training montages, a staple of the sports underdog genre. You can
also throw in flicks such as Breakin' and,
of course, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
as well as classic video games like Double
Dragon.
The FP is a family
affair. In addition to starring in the film, Jason Trost co-directed and
co-wrote the film with his brother, Brandon, who was also the cinematographer.
Brandon Trost also shot Crank: High Voltage and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance for Neveldine/Taylor and their highly kinetic, extremely
caffeinated style was another inspiration. Their sister, Sarah, worked costume
design and brought back vintage fashions like sleeveless denim jackets,
headbands, Flashdance-esque
sweatshirts, and moon boots. Finally, their father, Ron, a veteran effects
artist, did FX work here and served as executive producer. Ron kept a warehouse
to store leftover props and costumes from past movies that were recycled here.
Watching The FP is
just as tiring as hopping around on a dance pad. The concept is clever, but the
Brothers Trost have a difficult time maintaining interest, even at a scant
eighty-three minute runtime. The dialogue consists entirely of bad hip-hop
slang with plenty of F-words and N-bombs with the heroes living by the mantra,
N.I.G.G.A., Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished. Meanwhile, the game
itself chimes in with the occasional "whack" or "stank." It
ceases to be amusing after a while. The rest of the humor is equally juvenile,
such as a sequence where JTRO and Stacy share a supposedly tender moment over a
tampon. It also hurts that the Trosts are unable to imbue the pivotal Beat Beat
Revelation sequences with any excitement or tension. It's more fun playing
video games than watching someone else play them.
The FP was
originally a short film and maybe that's the way it should have stayed. This is
a one note joke stretched beyond the capabilities of the filmmakers. At best,
The FP may be considered a future cult classic destined for
midnight screenings.
Rating: * ½ (*****)
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