Not dissimilar to Bobcat Goldthwaite or Jody Hill’s oeuvre, first time directors Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel manage to create something from (seemingly) nothing.

Initially low stakes escalate unpredictably while Black’s performance evolves into a genuinely entertaining expression of range; it’s been a while. Marsden, for his part, is effortlessly convincing as a charming hedonist: a threesome masterclass to a 14 year-old – “hose down those lawn chairs” – proving a highlight.

Yet the setup verges on punishing and it’s not until near halfway that everything seems to loosen up. Make it through though and The D Train is worth the ride.

Once it gets going, The D Train escapes its mundane synopsis with some genuine freshness: interesting, odd, entertaining.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor

DIRECTORS: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel

WRITERS: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel

SYNOPSIS: In an effort to boost numbers at an upcoming High School reunion, Dan Landsman (Black) travels to LA to convince a former alumnus (Marsden) to attend.