The Real Cancun (2003) Movie Review

The white sandy beaches, the crystal clear water of the Caribbean, the bright striking sun…the half-naked (sometimes naked) bodies, the flowing alcohol, the constant partying, the destination is Spring Break in Cancun, Mexico.

Riding off the surprise success of last fall’s movie hit "Jackass: The Movie," the producers of MTV’s The Real World (Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray) now deliver the supposed first reality feature film "The Real Cancun".

After doing a nationwide search at college campuses, the producers selected 16 beings, whose age range from late teens to early twenties, to go to Cancun for an all expense paid Spring Break. All they have to do is take the trip and let camera crews film every moment. By of course picking Cancun, the top partying spot for youngsters, the law of underage drinking in the United States doesn’t exist in Mexico. The producers could not have shot this film with a bunch of cast members under the age of 21 at a place like Panama City, FL.

So off to Cancun, Mexico heads a diverse group of 16. The film opens with the cast’s final interview tapes to give the audience a first glimpse at the players of the game. The group are individuals from different backgrounds, and the producers know that by putting them all together that some will bond, others will clash, and for sure some unexpected moments will occur.

The cast includes two happy-go-lucky identical twins named Roxanne and Nicole from Texas Tech University, two childhood friends (David and Heidi) who are best friends and nothing more. There is also an innocent 19-year old named Alan that has never sipped alcohol in his life, but that is about to change. And the list goes on and on with a guy who has a girlfriend back home, another as a proclaimed ladies man, a model who isn’t actually in college, etc.

The film was actually shot last March over 8 days, with the cast staying in one side of Cancun’s Baccara Hotel, with the crew and post-production workers staying in the other half. Six camera crews followed the cast around 24-hours a day and the editors cut 500 hours of footage down into 90 minutes in less than a month.

With this being a feature film, the producers just let the cameras roll and don’t censor anything like they have to do with their shows on MTV. There is constant partying, cursing, nudity, and the cast is even filmed having sex a few times.

The film got finished so quick after shooting, mostly because the producers and director (DeOlimeira) focused on Alan’s life changing experience from never having a drink, to being a more confident party animal, but of course he is still the good kid. With so much focus going towards Alan in the second half of the film, the audience virtually doesn’t see a handful of the cast for the rest of the film.

Reality TV has skyrocketed in the past few years with "Survivor," "The Bachelor" and "Joe Millionaire" taking over some of the prime time slots. Bunim and Murray created "The Real World" 13 years ago for MTV. I was intrigued by their concept 10 years ago, but since I haven’t care much for it. I will admit that I am a fan of "Jackass," because those goofy guys doing idiotic stuff is just humorous to me, which is also why I enjoy the "Jackass" movie last fall.

Material like "The Real Cancun" has its own built-in audience, but to me it is mostly soap operish stuff. The film is just living off of the reality trend, and of course with an R-rated film version, you get to see more things that are cut out on MTV. Outside of "Jackass" I am not a fan of reality TV productions, and "The Real Cancun" is not a documentary, even though they could have probably made it one if they would have totally focused on one character like Alan. However, the concept of "The Real Cancun" is getting a bunch of people together that will create a few laughs, but more so make soap opera type of drama. Sure, just not my cup of tea. I will say that this film will do well with its fan-based audience.