 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
| Old
School
Directed By: Todd
Phillips Plot
Summary - Review 1 - Review
2 - CURRENT REVIEWS
|
|
| Three men are disenchanted with life and try to recapture their college days.[TRAILER] Director Todd Phillips (“Road Trip”) and the other creators of “Old School” likely thought they were bringing a creative twist to the dumb, gross-out, frat film genre. Take some thirty-somethings who miss the crazy days of their youth, send them back to a college in hopes of starting up a fraternity, and watch the humor erupt from this fish-out-of-water situation. But early on, the premise’s flaws are exposed. There is something just assumed about college boys and the craziness that they will get into (the phrase “boys will be boys” comes to mind). But with these older family men, something substantial is missing that limits the humor of the equation. Mitch (Luke Wilson), Frank (Will Ferrell) and Beanie (Vince Vaughn) are three college friends who feel as if their lives have become the mundane routine they always feared. Frank has just gotten married. Beanie has a wife and a child. And when Mitch buys an old house on the campus of their alma mater, both Frank and Beanie decide it is time to throw some excitement back into their lives. They establish a fraternity, throw the kind of parties that only seem to exist in the movies, and are attacked by an angry dean who used to be their alienated classmate. Yep, in many ways, this is more of an honest tribute to the crazy days of “Animal House” than other recent gross-out college comedies like “American Pie.” “Old School” is at its best when focusing on Frank, played by Will Ferrell. Ferrell has the comic timing and the explosive physical humor reminiscent of “Animal House’s” John Belushi, and he has that twinkle of immaturity in his eyes that connects with the audience in films like this. About the time he shoots himself in the neck with animal tranquilizers, Farrell has set himself apart as the winner of this mediocre comedy. But between the scenes of binge drinking, naked women, blow-up dolls and streaking, “Old School’s” sophomoric characters suddenly grow up, and one cannot help but be distracted by their real life alter-egos. Frank may be funny when he parties, but his antics lead to a divorce with his wife. Beanie actually brings his toddler to the house, telling him to “earmuff it” when men swear. Yes, it is funny to watch the little kid cover his ears, but why isn’t he in school, or at home? In an R-rated film that won’t admit children, I must admit I was a bit concerned about the messages Beanie was sending to his young child. In perhaps the film’s poorest decision, Mitch wakes up after one exciting party with a woman lying next to him in bed. She gets up, says she has to go to school, and kisses him on the cheek. Later Mitch realizes “school” does not refer to college, but to high school, and this girl is in fact the teenager daughter of his boss. It may be funny at first, but events like this raise other issues. These are not just immature sophomores in college. They should know better, and exhibit some level of restraint. When Frank streaks, yes it is hilarious, but it is also just a bit out-of-place for a man his age. Frat films, and all college films for that matter, capture a time when caution was thrown to the wind and when the unpredictable crazy college nights were among the best of most people’s lives. Many enjoy reliving those crazy days and that insane storm of carelessness. But these are men, not boys, and instead of looking cool, they look foolish. In “Old School,” while many scenes work, there are so many others that feel, well, wrong. College has its time and place, and I think most people realize that, after graduation, life goes on to some degree. The film feels like a stretch because these characters feel like a stretch. They’re trying to cling to emotions and times in such a fashion that they appear desperate. Mitch, in several moments, even says he is above the non-stop antics of Frank and Beanie. If seen with a group of friends, “Old School” will have its charms. It is naughty, vulgar, and often crosses the line of good taste. For lovers of the genre, it follows the road so often traveled. Upon subsequent viewings, it is clearly a weak film built around a poor premise. It would be fun to think that we could always return to the crazy days of our youth. But at a certain point, shouldn’t grown men actually desire a wife and family enough to not constantly run away from them?  Check out Reviews, Commentary, and More at Zertinet.com |
LINKS
TO REVIEWS |
| Movies
@ Zertinet | Oscars @ Zertinet
| Main Site Best Viewed
at 800 X 600 or greater |
|
