JUST when you thought the high school/college goofball comedy was dead and buried, along comes a real treat in the form of Road Trip.

Films like Animal House, The Sure Thing and, to a lesser extent, Porky's, rule the roost in this rowdy corner of the cinematic genre farm and Road Trip pays due respect to all of them. It also tips a wink in the direction of such recent fare as American Pie and There's Something About Mary.

The set-up is devastatingly simple.

College boy Josh (Breckin Meyer) cheats on his long-distance girlfriend with a chick who is happy to videotape the experience. It's all very well because, as Josh's buddy EL (Seann William Scott) informs him it doesn't count if you're in different area codes, or if you film it and someone accidentally mails the tape to your girlfriend.

Which is lucky because that is exactly what happens.

Struck by panic, the only solution is for Josh and a car-load of pals to drive the 1,800 miles from upstate New York to Austin, Texas, before the parcel falls into the wrong hands.

Cue that great American experience - the road trip.

En-route, the geeky kid turns into a stud muffin, the emotionally-blocked brainbox finds a little soul and the company's love machine finds out he didn't know everything about the act of lurve after all.

There are all kinds of fun, games, stoned dogs, angry parents and, of course, topless women for the boys to endure before the whole thing is brought to a short and sweet conclusion. Road Trip doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is. It revels in a complete absence of mawkish sentiment and subtlety. It wallows in puerile gags, gratuitous nudity and all round degeneracy - Bluto would have been delighted.

Lads, have a couple of beers first, enjoy and file under Good Laugh. Ladies - let them!

NICK CHURCHILL