Old School Review
by Jon Popick (jpopick AT sick-boy DOT com)February 26th, 2003
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What can be said about Old School, other than comparing it to Animal House or Porky's? Depending upon which side of the bed one rises from, that's either a very good or a very bad thing - there's quite a bit of middle ground between those two camps. Likewise, there isn't much I can write here that will either make a Jackass fan avoid School or an NPR lover race down to the multiplex to wait in line opening weekend. So I'm not going to put a whole lot of effort into this review.
Speaking of a lack of effort, that's just what School's naysayers are going to crow when they bash the film from the same lofty soapboxes being used to decry Joe Millionaire as the latest harbinger of doom. Have fun at Gods and Generals, you douchebags! While you're atrophying through that snoozefest, us knuckle-draggers can see School and Daredevil, and still have time to do a few donuts in your front yard before you get home.
See, School manages to get a few important things right that most other films have completely jettisoned in favor of mediocrity. Its stars have actual chemistry (unlike Shanghai Knights), and they're all pretty close to being the same age as their characters (unlike Deliver Us From Eva). But best of all, School manages to pack its derivative story into a nice, 90-minute package (unlike How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, or that sumbitch Generals).
If you've seen School's trailer, you already know the story: Three 30-ish white guys are bored with their lives and decide to start a fraternity while battling the requisite crusty old dean. Within days, the frat is the talk of the town, turning recently hitched Frank (Will Ferrell, Zoolander) into a Belushi-esque animal; married and bitter Speaker City owner Beanie (Vince Vaughn, Domestic Disturbance) into a first-class bullshit artist; and unlucky-in-love real estate attorney Mitch (Luke Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums) into a guy so happening, he gets to nail Elisha Cuthbert (television's 24) within hours after meeting her.
This isn't groundbreaking stuff here, but it's awfully damn funny (more so than, say, American Pie or its bastard sequel). Vaughn hasn't been nearly this good since Swingers, and Wilson is the perfect straight man to Ferrell's over-the-top insanity. Who knew Saturday Night Live was keeping this guy grounded? His is an uninhibited performance full of spectacular physical comedy. And how funny is it that Jeremy Piven - the guy who raised collegiate hell in PCU - is now playing the fun-loathing university dean?
School is writer-director Todd Phillips's follow-up to Road Trip, which became the most unlikely hit of the summer of 2000. Trip was a $15 million film that grossed around $70 million just in domestic box office alone, despite opening within weeks of Gladiator, Mission: Impossible II, Big Momma's House and Dinosaur (they all made well over $100 million, albeit on much larger budgets). One can only imagine Phillips's work on the Sundance-winning documentary Frat House helped him and co-writer Scot Armstrong script some of the hysterical gags we see in School. With such an eclectic filmography (he also made documentaries about Phish [Bittersweet Motel] and G.G. Allin [Hated]), I have to say I'm looking forward to Phillips's take on Starsky & Hutch, which will star Ben Stiller and Luke's brother Owen.
1:31 - R for some strong sexual content, nudity and language
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