By John Corrado
The entire setup for director Nick Corirossi’s The Napa Boys is itself an elaborate joke; it’s fashioned as the fourth film in a franchise, that has already received a series of spinoffs. Only none of these other entries exist, and the film that is supposed to have spawned this franchise is Alexander Payne’s 2004 dramedy Sideways. How Corirossi sold it to us during the post-screening Q&A at the film’s Midnight Madness premiere is, what if Payne’s film received the same type of direct-to-video sequels as American Pie?
A two decades later parody of Sideways that pretends to be the latest in a non-existent franchise probably shouldn’t be this amusing. But this totally irreverent satire of straight-to-video sequels delivers its share of laughs thanks to a committed cast. The film, which is titled onscreen as The Napa Boys 4: The Sommelier’s Amulet, finds our main man Jack Jr. (Corirossi) packing up the Wine Wagon and getting the band back together for one more adventure.
This includes his friend Miles Jr. (Armen Weitzman), who is grieving the death of his wife and daughter. There’s also Kevin (Nelson Franklin) and Stifler’s Brother (Jamar Neighbors). They are on a road trip though Napa Valley to help their friend Mitch (Mike Mitchell), owner of Mitch’s Winery, win the Great Grape competition. Joining them is Puck (Sarah Ramos), a superfan with a podcast who tags along with dreams of being a Napa Boy.
The Napa Boys are up against Squirm (Paul Rust), a hilariously non-PC creep who is Mitch’s main competition. Created by Corirossi and Weitzman, The Napa Boys delivers a mix of gross-out gags and some more higher concept setups. Little makes sense, but this is all part of the joke; we have been thrown into a franchise that probably should’ve ended already.
The cast is rounded out by appearances from a number of other comedy figures, including David Wain as the wine competition’s judge. It’s fitting, since this film shares some DNA with Wain’s cult classic Wet Hot American Summer, even if it doesn’t reach that level. There is an online sketch comedy feel to The Napa Boys at times, and a sense of throwing stuff out to see what sticks. It occasionally feels too self-indulgent, like too much of an inside joke.
But the central conceit is still pretty funny, and enough of the jokes land for us to laugh consistently throughout. Dare I say it’s the best Napa Boys movie yet.
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