Old School (February 18/03)

Old School is that rare comedy that, although it's not tremendously funny, still manages to entertain due to some impressively strong performances and a brisk pace.

Luke Wilson stars as Mitch, a lawyer who arrives home early one evening to find his girlfriend (played by Juliette Lewis) participating in some kind of an orgy. Naturally, he's quick to move out and manages to secure a house close to the college he attended. His two friends, Frank and Beanie (Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn) decide to turn the house into a fraternity - which, obviously, ticks off the dean of the school (Jeremy Piven). Many, many hijinks ensue as the trio conspires to outwit the crusty dean and have a bitchin' time in the process.

Director Todd Phillips' last film was Road Trip, a surprisingly enjoyable gross-out comedy that managed to do the one thing most films of that ilk are unable to: it contained characters that were compelling enough that the film remained entertaining, even when it wasn't all that funny. The same is true here, although most audiences will probably find a lot more to laugh at than I did (the crowd was practically in hysterics throughout the screening I attended). To be fair, there are a number of chuckle-worthy sequences (most notably when Ferrell's character is shot with an animal tranquilizer dart), but this is overall not quite the laff riot that the commercials have been promising.

Still, with a cast like this, it's hard to go wrong. Vaughn, in particular, is a lot of fun as the frat guy who never quite grew up. Though he's a successful businessman now, Beanie's still holding onto the ideals he had as a 20-year-old. Vaughn's essentially playing Trent from Swingers, and if nothing else, the film is worth seeing just for his performance. Likewise, Wilson and Ferrell are just as good - Ferrell, in particular, gets his first real chance at playing a character (a wacky character, but a character nonetheless) - and the eclectic supporting cast provides surprisingly effective support. Piven, playing the evil dean, doesn't really get much to do, but his presence is always appreciated.

Old School is one of those films that's best enjoyed when viewed with a large, enthusiastic crowd. On the small screen, the film will likely lose some of its raucous energy - although, since the film plays like a prolonged sitcom, it might very well be even more effective at home.