for language, sexuality, nudity, drug content and crude humor
04/04/2002
That National Lampoon's Van Wilder is an improvement over those
last three isn't saying much. An unbelievably flat and derivative
comedy, it plays like a lightweight combination of Animal House
and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but without the inspiration.
Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) is the big man on campus, a party animal
enjoying his seventh year as an undergraduate.
Forced to find a new source of cash when Daddy stops paying his tuition,
Van hires himself out as a party planner, turns geeks into girl magnets
and gives the phrase "learning curves" a new meaning by organizing
topless tutorials.
This behavior raises the ire of idealistic campus journalist Gwen
Pearson (Tara Reid), who decides to discredit Van but instead – surprise
– falls in love with him. This, of course, raises the ire of her pre-med
boyfriend and his fraternity brothers. After that, it gets predictable.
Distributor Artisan Entertainment seems to be trying to cash in on the
recent teen comedy craze and nostalgia for the gross-out comedies of the
early '80s. Unfortunately, all of the Revenge of the Nerds and
Breakfast Club cameos in the world can't save this limp biscuit of
a comedy.
Let's be honest: Is there any other reason Tim Matheson was cast as
Van's father aside from the fact he played a party boy in Animal House
?
Of its few original moments – such as a lengthy gag involving eclairs
and dog semen – none carries Van Wilder to the finish line.
The only thing keeping it from being a complete waste of time is the
charismatic performance of Mr. Reynolds. Too bad it's wasted here.
Patty Arpaia / Artisan Entertainment
Van Wilder
(Ryan Reynolds) and Gwen, the journalism student (Tara Reid) in
National Lampoon's Van Wilder.
There was a time when having the "National Lampoon" brand name on top of
a movie title meant something. Of course, that was a long, long time ago,
when the label was tacked onto such classics as Animal House and
roughly half of the Vacation flicks. Since then, it's been used to
push such forgotten fiascoes as Senior Trip, Last Resort and
Loaded Weapon 1.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Tim
Matheson, Tom Everett Scott and Alex Burns