The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human

Rating:
Summary: A unique and very funny look at human relationships
Review: Wouldn't it be funny if someone made an "alien documentary" all about the mating habits of Earthlings? Well, somebody has. The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human takes you all the way through the entire mating ritual of two human beings, from their initial meeting in a bar (or "sacred meeting ground") to their first date, a number of mating practice sessions, and all the way up to the culmination of the whole mating process. Our trusty narrator (David Hyde Pierce) explains everything that happens along the way, providing some very funny comments that don't always match up exactly with what is taking place.

Mackenzie Astin plays the male who somehow attracts the female (Carmen Electra) despite the fact she is so far out of his league it isn't even funny - she's ready for a "nice guy" at this point of her life, and he basically just gets extremely lucky. He goes on to get extremely lucky a number of times over the course of the next year's time (although, strangely enough, there's no real nudity to speak of in the movie). The film is at its funniest early on, as the guy works up the courage to speak to the girl, proceeds to lose her phone number after waiting a few days to call her (following the instruction of his pack); the importance of the male and female packs in the whole mating ritual is delineated rather clearly here. After the early dating period evolves into a full-fledged relationship, the film loses a little bit of its humor. After about a half hour of the narrated commentary, the novelty of the thing begins to wear off a little bit at a time. The film also ends up going to the well too many times with some of its examples of the whole conception process. Additionally, a golden opportunity is wasted to some degree in the "meeting the parents" segments. Up until then, the relationship was pretty close to normal, but the two sets of parents are exceedingly stereotypical and definitely not normal. Then, of course, you have to have a break-up in there at some point, as well as the moment of truth when a certain something is not available at a critical time - you know what I mean.

I have to say I really enjoyed this film; aside from the whole parents thing, it wasn't nearly as stupid as I expected it to be. Many of the dating rituals really are rather silly, when you think about it. I think the film does tilt decidedly toward the male perspective after the relationship becomes a physical one, but I think women are just as likely to enjoy this movie as men are - although I daresay the guys will appreciate Carmen Electra much more than the gals will appreciate Mackenzie Astin.