Old School

Like many others, I heard a lot of buzz about "Old School" before it was released. Things like "it's the new animal house" or "an instant classic". Well, unfortunately that didn't turn out to be the case. However, that doesn't mean its a bad movie. In fact, I loved it and would highly recommend it.

As someone in the same age group as the main characters, perhaps I related too much, but the idea is great: Three 30-something guys who are solidly on the path of a normal, mature life (marriage, kids, real job, etc...) decide to start a fraternity and recapture their college glory days. No, there's no real reason to do this, and no, its not realistic at all.

But who cares? Anyone who has ever been to a raging college party, done a few beer bongs and whippits, screamed along with some loud music, and hooked up with a random coed can immediately relate to this film. Not to mention there really are some gut-busting funny scenes throughout. Luke Wilson is the perfect actor for the steady, reserved professional guy. Will Ferrell is hilarious of course, and Vince Vaughn does what he does so well, playing the instigator trying to help a best friend have fun again. Unfortunately one of his funniest scenes only made it to the deleted scenes section of the DVD.

Which brings me to my main gripe with this movie: what was left on the cutting room floor. The deleted scenes, which can be seen on the DVD of course, aren't just trivial sections that you can understand were cut, some of them are classic. The movie was only an hour and a half long, and for the life of me I can't figure out why the 10 minutes of deleted footage didn't remain. I think some of them really would've changed the entire feel of the movie. The last act kind of changes into this "Rushmore"-ish Wes Anderson knock off, and I think at least a few of the deleted scenes would've helped it make more sense.

Despite that, this movie ranks alongside Dumb & Dumber, Meet the Parents, Kingpin, and American Pie as one of the best comedies of the last decade or so in my humble opinion. No it's not a classic, but it will stand the test of time as a very good comedy that you'll laugh at with each replay.

This is one of the movies that started off the "Frat Pack". Although not consistently funny, the movie does have its iconic moments that can be compared to later comedies.

It had great chemistry between the actors and quotable lines. Sean William Scott's cameo was one of the funniest scenes in the film. Will Ferrell definitely had the best scenes.

Sure, you could watch "Anchorman" or "Elf" or "Wedding Crashers"... but if you want real Luke Wilson and Will Ferrell action, you want to see "Old School".

A group of 30-year old men turn a house into a fraternity to recapture their days of beer-drinking and women-catching. But once the dean finds out, it becomes an all out war between these men and the establishment.

The cast is perfect: besides Wilson and Ferrell, you have Vince Vaughn, Elisha Cuthbert, that girl from "Rushmore", Jeremy Piven, and a variety of other cameos. Even James Carville, who is just about the last person you expect to appear in a sophomoric comedy of this type. Well, second to last: Robert Novak would have been stranger.

I have no complaints to make about this film. If you're familiar with the work of these gentlemen, you know what you're getting already. And this is the cream of the crop. If you like their other movies and not this one, I think you're probably out of your mind or on some mind-altering drug like Ketamine. Because how can you not appreciate this? Oh, and it has Terry O'Quinn and Snoop Dogg. Seriously, watch it.

It is quite funny. It is good to see so many comedians in one single film.

"Old School" is a nutty comedy about three friends starting a fraternity. It's a comedy in the same vein as "Animal House," "Porky's Revenge," or "Road Trip," which are about hormonal young males drinking, partying, and having sex, except the hormonal males in "Old School" aren't exactly young---which makes it all the more hilarious. By all rights, they shouldn't have a fraternity nor should they be in one. Beanie (Vince Vaughn) was married with two kids, Frank (Will Ferrell) was a newlywed, and Mitch (Luke Wilson) just got out of a committed relationship. They were all 30+ and their partying days should've been behind them. Yet they started a fraternity in Mitch's new home as a means of making sure that the house, that was near the college campus, remained committed to campus related activities.

Necessity is the mother of inventions.

Their fraternity was unique in that it was a blend of students at the nearby college and adult non-students of varying ages. Blue (Patrick Cranshaw) was close to 90!!

The whole thing was a gas. This was just silly fun you couldn't help but laugh at.