National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)
Directed by Walt Becker
Written by Brent Goldberg
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Tim Matheson, Todd Black, Tara Reid, Simon Helberg, Aaron Paul, Kal Penn, Tom Everett Scott
Release Date April 5th, 2002
Published April 4th, 2002
Another college comedy, how original, I mean we haven't seen that in what, a week? 2 weeks? Oh, but this college comedy is from National Lampoon, the people behind Chevy Chase's career meltdown and a long list of tremendously unfunny comedies. Save for the 1977 masterpiece Animal House ironically also a college based comedy.
Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) is the big man on campus at fictional Coolidge College and has been for 7 years. Unfortunately for Van, his father (Animal House star Tim Matheson) is no longer willing to pay for his tuition. This means Van and his wacky sidekicks must find a way to pay for Van to stay. This leads to plots, schemes, parties, topless girls and drunken mayhem, as if you could make a college comedy without those things. The film, having covered the college comedy requirements, now must add a love interest and a nemesis. Enter Tara Reid as a journalism major doing a story on Van and her evil frat-guy boyfriend (Todd Black).
I have spent the better part of this review running this movie down when in actuality there was a lot about it I liked. The film’s star, Ryan Reynolds, is amazingly charismatic with impeccable comic timing and a unique way of delivering a line. Even if what he's saying isn't meant to be funny it still makes you smile. Tara Reid may not be the most believable journalism major but as the subject of every man's lust she perfectly fits the bill.
In the legend and lore of college comedy, Animal House and the little seen PCU run as the best of the genre, and the recent Sorority Boys, falls as the absolute worst. I would say Van Wilder falls somewhere in the middle with Rodney Dangerfield's Back To School. It's not great but it's not horribly unwatchable. On a side note, Van Wilder is not for the squeamish. A scene with a character masturbating a dog is rather disgusting but its aftermath may drive some of you out of the theater.
Is Van Wilder worth seeing? Yes, but wait for the DVD, which will likely come within the next 3 or 4 months.
