DVD Review: The First Time

DVD Reviews, Reviews

When someone tells you to think of your first time, what does your mind immediately go to? Evidently you will probably think of the first time you attempted to have sex. For most people, this likely happened in high school or in college. There have been lots of movies that focused on this very subject. Most of them end up as raunchy teen comedies. But what about director Jon Kasdan’s The First Time?

In The First Time, high school students Aubrey (Britt Robertson) and Dave (Dylan O’Brien) meet, fall in love and maybe or maybe not have sex over the course of one weekend. Aubrey and Dave meet in the alley behind a party, where Dave is rehearsing how he is going to reveal his true feelings to his friend Jane (Victoria Justice). Aubrey tells him that she has a horrible older boyfriend Ronny (James Frecheville). Aubrey gives Dave some advice on how to talk to Jane. But before that can happen, the party is broken up by the cops. They part ways, but each one can’t stop thinking about the other.

The main problem is The First Time doesn’t know what kind of movie it wants to be. It’s not really a comedy. It’s not really a romantic drama. It definitely not a raunchy teen movie. Ultimately this is a teenage love story about having sex for the first time. But this movie is not American Pie. There is nothing truly offensive here. This movie could be compared to Juno. The plot is nothing we haven’t seen before.

What makes this movie watchable, though, are the two lead stars. Britt Robertson and Dylan O’Brien are currently stars on television shows, but they are relatively newcomers. But they do have great chemistry together. They were each able to convey the awkwarness, insecurity, and tension between two teenagers who are thinking about having sex for the first time. They don’t really sound like teenagers. There is also no need to talk about other characters in the movie, because they are nothing special and mostly annoying.

The First Time is an average film. It is not the best romantic teen movie, but it is not the worst either. It really has identity crisis, because it doesn’t know what it wants to be. You can say the same thing about most kids in high school, so it fits somewhat, but that still doesn’t raise this movie above average. What even puts this movie in the average category are the two leading stars. Britt Robertson and Dylan O’Brien are the perfect match and are the reason The First Time is worth a watch. Just don’t expect there to be any raunchy content.

The video is given in widescreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. It is enhanced for 16X9 TVs. Transfer is great with minimal distortion. No major problems at all.

The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. There are subtitles available in English, English SDH and French as well. The dialogue comes out crisp and clear. No major problems here either.


There are no special features.


Worth a rental, but be aware of what this movie is and isn’t. You might enjoy The First Time more than you think.


Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presents The First Time. Directed and Written by Jon Kasdan. Written by Starring Britt Robertson, Dylan O’Brien, Victoria Justice, James Frecheville. Running time: 95 minutes. Rated: PG-13. Released: March 12, 2013. Available at Amazon.com.

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