5. Unlikable Characters
The three main characters of the film are best friends Thomas, Costa and J.B. They each fall into the regular stereotypes of Thomas as the slightly nerdy one (Michael Cera in Superbad), Costa as the fat, brash sex-pest (Jonah Hill in Superbad) and the loser of the group J.B (Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Superbad). You can see a pattern here. Project Xs main problem is that these characters are simply not likable. Whilst Thomas and J.B are so devoid of any personality that they are instantly forgettable, Costa is a loathsome creature that has no redeemable qualities. The party gets out of hand because of his actions, to which he shows no regret or remorse after his friend's house is trashed. His repeated use of the insult faggot combined with some one-liners straight out of the latest edition of How To Act Like A Dick (Hey, we want some pussy!) makes him one of the nastiest characters ever seen in film. Other similar characters from various movies, such as Stifler in American Pie, dont have this issue, mainly because they are periphery characters or they have some redeeming features, even if it is as basic as being a good friend. Costa is so self-absorbed that he cares little for anyone else, is both misogynistic and possibly homophobic, and an all-round a**hole. As for the supporting characters...well there is not much on offer there either. Thomas parents are a complete disaster in characterisation. Trying to make them typical suburban, white middle-class (i.e stupid and boring in Project Xs world) parents doesnt exactly work when after their son has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage, the father turns round and says I didnt think you had it in you with a wry smile and sense of pride. Any other characters, most of which form the guests for the party, are so useless/unimportant/uninteresting that they are not even worth commenting on. This is the best example of how to make characters that an audience will hate.