Old School (2003)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Written by Todd Phillips & Scot Armstrong

Old School tries to be, like Jem, truly outrageous, but ends up being mostly sad. Despite giganticaly overblown hijinks and the trusty comedic shamelessness of Will Ferrell, it doesn't deliver any belly-laughs, and the extremely lazy plot puts forth no effort toward making the viewer care about the stuff that isn't supposed to be funny.

As with Sorority Boys, its closest kin in recent memory, Old School aims squarely for potsmoke giggles, not allowing for much enjoyment if you're completely sober, which I always am since the time I got reeeeeallly wasted and woke up married to Hanson.

It's a clear sign that you're supposed to be high when Snoop Dogg shows up for a cameo – incidentally, the Snoop song is surprisingly good! There's a funny moment when a nude Will Ferrell interrupts Snoop's performance to invite everyone to streak across the quad.

Luke Wilson does his usual nice-guy schtick, Ferrell contributes his carpetbomb comedy technique (i.e. keep unloading the comedy, something's bound to hit), and Vince Vaughn offers his trademark brand of trapped-little-boy hostility. Craig Kilbourn is good as a sleazy boyfriend, Andy Dick is unfunny in a cameo as an "oral sex instructor," and Seann William Scott appears briefly so people can chortle to themselves, point at the screen, and blurt: "Stifler!"

Patrick Cranshaw is the best thing about the film as "Blue," a 90-year-old pledge to the leads' fraternity. Be sure to stick around for the credits to see Blue as an angel, sitting at a piano in Heaven singing "Dust in the Wind."

Review by Jenny Lips