National Lampoon's Van Wilder (R-Rated Edition) Reviews

• Perfect College Movie of All Time!!!!!!!

  
  By AHILUE88O16A1 on 2002-07-02
  I saw this movie, "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" the Spring semester of my Senior year in college. I can't think of a more perfect, funny movie to celebrate my graduation with. The movie was absolutely hilarious, it had original jokes, great talent and beautiful women (I LOVE YOU TARA REID!!) The guy who played Van, Ryan Reynolds, has great comic timing and was extremely funny playing the lead role. I also thought his assistant Taj, stole the show on numerous occasions. My favorite scene is the one where Taj interviews for the job as Van's assistant. The supporting cast in this movie was genious also (the principal from breakfast club, the guy who played Booger on Revenge of the Nerds, the guy who played the Sherminator in the American Pie movies). There was many original jokes in the movie also (ie. Van throws a party in the Hillel :-)
  The unrated edition should be absolutely nuts and this is the number one DVD i want to own. Any fan of comedy and/or college comedies in particular should buy this DVD as soon as it comes out. You won't be sorry.
  
  

• Why is this DVD being released?

  
  By ANGR4BFG94OTY on 2006-10-14
  I am looking at the Van Wilder 2 Disc Unrated Version Van Gone Wilder Edition that was released 4 years ago.
  The only difference I can see between them is a new cover and less Special Features.
  
  
  
  

• Surprisingly Funny...

  
  By A2IPIVM5PB9LYB on 2002-01-10
  I was fortunate to see a preview of this film at a local college. I must admit, I didn't really expect much of the film. Recent films that bore the National Lampoon name were lackluster at best. That and the fact that there's no one in the cast with any known comic ability caused me to have extremely low expectations for this movie.

  Boy, was I surprised! This film surpassed my expectations tenfold. With its hilarious premise and attractive (not to mention funny - even Tara Reid!) cast, this flick reminded me of the days when National Lampoon movies were actually FUNNY! I plan on going out to see this movie again when it's officially released... and you should, too! You won't be disappointed!
  
  

• Comedy, Poetry, Hot Chick

  
  By A21A43U0J6MDV4 on 2002-10-10
  I'll begin with a confession: I was reluctant to watch this film. It was snobbish on my part. A recent interview with Tara Reid in MAXIM portrayed the actress as a shallow ditz, and I doubted that the voluntary suspension of disbelief would succeed in allowing me to see her as serious college student Gwen Pearson. This was the crux of my objection to NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER. My husband cleverly defeated my opposition with the "Yes, but she's a really hot chick" argument, and we bought the DVD. To my surprise, Reid pulls off the act, dropping words like "pander" and phrases like "benevolent agenda" as if they had belonged in her personal vocabulary bank all along.

  The writing goes far beyond clever. It's down right poetic, with lines dance on the ear like a butterfly on a buttercup. Take, for example, "That's no bong! That's for my shlong!" Watch out Shakespeare.

  Best of all, the movie answers the age-old question: What was Ferris Bueller like in college? Van Wilder (Ryan Reynonds) fits the mold rather closely. He's a philanthropist who knows how to have a good time. He's funny, good looking, and popular with just about everyone. Brilliant ideas like topless tutors and the naked mile run are a-dime-a-dozen with this guy. Most importantly, he gets away with everything. I'm glad I didn't get away with turning my nose up at this delightfully amusing film. So even if you're skeptical, give it a try, and don't neglect to consider that Tara Reid's a really hot chick.
  
  

• Woah, only 3.5 stars????

  
  By A3UBUB7UCJZ6XV on 2005-04-26
  How can any movie with a line like "Her name's Naomi...that's 'I moan' backwards" get lower than five? Ryan Reynolds is a revelation and Tech was on the Real World. Buy this movie, watch it about a billion times and then tell me I'm wrong. Fact. To all you haters out there, the kid on the short bus called, he wants his reviews back.
  
  
• And you thought American Pie had a weird dessert theme...
  By A1A2SWJHNJ10FP on 2004-10-19
  National Lampoon brought the raunchy and raucous college world to the mainstream kids back in the 1970's with Animal House, which would go on to virtually springboard the careers of several of its stars, including John Belushi and Tim Matheson.
  But for those of us who may have been born after the original release of AH and raised on films like the American Pie trilogy get a new version of Animal House for the new generation with Van Wilder.
  
  Van (Ryan Reynolds) is the virtual definition of a slacker in the college world, having spent seven years attending Coolidge College. He is pretty much the life of the party and he revels in it greatly. It's only until his dad (Matheson) finds out that Van is still in school and places a halt to Van's tuition payment that he realizes that it's time to get his head in the game and find a way to graduate and pay tuition.
  
  A story printed by the school's star reporter Gwen (Tara Reid) causes Van to become a party planner and raise the money for his tuition, along with the help of his closest friend (Teck Holmes of "Real World" fame) and his personal assistant (Kal Penn). When a relationship develops between Van and Gwen, Gwen's pretentious boyfriend Richard tries to put a wedge between them. When Van learns of this, he gets a little revenge in one of the most ingenious and disgusting ways ever devised (trust me, this has the humping a pie thing beaten hands down, no pun intended...)
  
  Van Wilder is pretty hilarious in spots and somewhat disgusting in others, particularly the classic payback Van pulls on Richard and later on when Gwen also gets a little revenge on Richard when she learns a little something that Richard did behind Gwen's back. Also, Penn and Holmes have some gut-busting moments in support and is it nice to see Matheson deciding to continue his association with National Lampoon by bridging the gap between Animal House and Van Wilder.
  
  A word of advice, though: if you have a weak stomach, this is not the movie for you. But if have that type of sense of humor that thinks that letting one rip loudly in public causes you to double over with laughter, then definitely check out Van Wilder.
  
  
• Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.
  By A2V6Y2HTL4EE7D on 2005-09-05
  National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a great comedy. This story is about a student by the name of Van Wilder (played by Ryan Renolds) entering his seventh year of college without a future plan. Unfortunatly once Van's Dad (played by Tim Matheson) stops payments on his tuition Van has to find ways of paying to stay in school. Thanks to the help of his new assistant Tosh (played by Kal Penn)they set off to a whole new level of college experience to come up with the money and to party at the same time.
  Just like all other movies there is always a love twist to it. Van meets a sexy reporter (tara Ried) who has a news peice to write about him. This love twist has great humour value when van is confronted time after time by her boyfriend Richard (also known as Pre-Med Dick).
  This movie is for a 14plus audiance with all its nudity contents and language. If you like American Pie 1,2,and American Wedding, then this movie belongs in your collection
  
  
• It Felt Great To Laugh Freely Once Again
  By on 2002-07-04
  National Lampoon's Van Wilder is an absolutely Hillarious movie. It was so refreshing to see a movie where you can laugh freely once again without having to worry about whether or not what you're laughing at is Politically Correct or not. Who Cares, it's just a movie for Gosh Sakes, if it's funny, LAUGH! Ryan Reynolds is very charasmatic as Van Wilder, who is a College Campus Party Liason, who would rather party than study, until he's forced to, and then he shows that he can be serious when he has to. Kal Penn as Taj, Van's personal assistant, is hillarious, a job well done, and Tara Reid as Gwen Pearson, a student reporter who at first does a hatchet job story on Van, but then has the decency to print a follow up, much more researched truthful story on Van, something a lot of real life media members should have done long ago with regards to stories they've written on certain celebrities, especially, Tara Reid herself, who for some unknown and totally unfair reason has been designated as a media scratching post. She does a very good job in the film, especially considering what she had to work with, and the fact that she basically had to portray the "straight man" to everyone elses comedic performances. Her on screen presence, as usual is captivating. The eclair scene (when you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about), is very gross, it's extremely funny the very first time you see it, but every time I've watched it since, it truly is disgusting. But that's only one scene. All in all it's an absolutely hillarious movie, fine performances all around, and had it been any other actress, especially a "Hollywood Favourite", other than Tara Reid, they couldn't have portrayed the role of Gwen Pearson any better... Anyways, for a good laugh, and just to be able to forget about the hardships or trials and tribulations of the everyday rat race, just for an hour and a half or so, see this movie.
  
  
• One Van Wilder Isn�t Enough�Write That Down�
  By A3L3GS3CNCJ6T1 on 2002-11-07
  At first sight I thought this was just another one�maybe it is�like American Pie, Slackers, Road Trip ect... I loved Van Wilder. It�s defiantly different and unique. Ryan Reynolds is simply amazing. I don�t think I�ve seen any other of his movies, except for the small part in Dick.

  Without Kal Penn, as Taj, Van Wilder would�ve been nothing. Foreign exchange students always make all the difference. Daniel Cosgrove as Richard, who also plays Bill on Guiding Light impressed me by being in this movie, with this amazing cast.

  I don�t usually like Tara Reid, this time she was worth watching. She was the only �regular-normal� person of them all. Mind you, it�s just in acting, and only in Van Wilder.

  I watched Van Wilder 3 times, one after the other. I just couldn�t get enough. So the bonuses came in handy. There was a whole other DVD full of additional stuff, deleted scenes, interviews, and all kinds of VW specials. The menu it�s self was defiantly different. As my brother said, �Once you see the VW menu you, you know the movie is good.� And another bonus, the soundtrack rocks, get it.
  
  

• Totally fun college flick!
  By on 2003-02-24
  Comedies are my favorite films, and I love this movie, one of the best I've seen in a long time. I've seen several teen-flick comedies, but this one takes the cake, even over "Road Trip" which I thought was a hoot. Perfect timing on all the quips and humor, and this comedy is just plain college fun. Yeah, there's a small message in there about growing up and realizing your potential, but it's woven in pretty well without the sappiness. Small scenes in this movie make me laugh just thinking about them. One of those scenes is when Van is in remorse over his loss of Gwen. A freshman girl walks in asking how he's doing, and he bursts into "I'm all out of love...I'm so lost without you..." and strums a very poor chord on his guitar. It was great and totally unexpected. I love that scene!

  The writers out did themselves on the script. This is a smart comedy that cleverly weaves the characters and story together. I've seen other comedies that were complete paradies of other movies with no plot but scene after scene of horrible gags and imitations of other movies. Apparently there is a market out there in copy-cat world that is alive and kicking. Since the movie is set in the tradition of National Lampoon, Ryan Reynolds combines some character traits of Chevy Chase, Jim Carrey and Bill Murray to complete his Van Wilder persona, but he still maintains that lovable charm. He is treated as a celebrity in his school, but eveyone loves him because he sincerely cares for them and knows how to have a "pimpin' good time" doing it. This is not a typical "teen underdog becomes popular and gets revenge on his school bullies" story. If you dig deep the real conflict of the story is with Van Wilder himself and his reluctance to graduate and move on into the real world. But that's neither here nor there -- it's more fun to think about him as the Party Liaison or the Raddest ...Dude Alive.

  Kal Penn holds his own as Van Wilder's assistant Taj. He just adds that much more to the comedy and practically stole the show. Tara Reid porbably did her best role as Gwen in this movie. That's about it.

  Great movie with lots of laughs. Gotta see it.
  
  

• A Terrible, Uninventive Movie
  By A2YJ9DT9YZ0DUN on 2003-06-17
  As an freshman in college, my roommate rented "Van Wilder", assuring me that it was a funny movie. After watching it, I was sadly disappointed in not only the quality of its story/humor but also in how it portrays college life.
  
  There is nothing innovative in "Van Wilder". The story is your basic tale of the "rich kid who doesn't work at school and therefore hasn't graduated in 7 years." Throw a girl into the mix, sprinkle some relationship problems, and you have a trite, meaningless film. That is exactly what this reeking pustule of cinematic fiction is. The humor relies only on obscenities and crass sexuality, not giving the viewer any sort of edification (aesthetically, comically, or otherwise).
  
  In addition to this, "Van Wilder" promotes only the worst aspects of college life, glorifying them at at time when such aspects should be reprimanded. The events in the movie promote the partying, obsessed-with-relationships style of life which is indicative of the introversion which will destroy Western civilization. This is definitely not what this Nation's youth needs during a critical time in our history and the history of the world.
  
  I'm sorry, world of Amazon, I know that this is not the type of review that you want to see. Nonetheless, "Van Wilder" is definitely not a movie which deserves praise on any level. It is neither innovative nor edifying. It does not truly brighten the viewer's day, make them think, and most definitely doesn't promote anything remotely related to goodness or Truth.
  
  
• Greatest movie of our generation.
  By on 2003-09-01
  All right, maybe not, but a top-notch movie nonetheless. I watch this movie with my fraternity brothers on a daily basis. Any male between the ages of 16 and 24 must own this movie.

  The interview with Taj is the funniest scene in any movie in decades.

  Write that down.
  
  

• Funny movie-except Tara Reid
  By A3JKQTZQZBHBHA on 2004-08-19
  I really enjoyed this movie-thought it was funny, entertaining, etc. The cast was talented with exception to Tara Reid. I know a lot of people think she's hot and all-but her acting sucks. She was supposed to play a smart, journalism major in the film, but she can't help but come across as a dumb blonde like she does in all her films. The film would have been stronger-and would have earned a n extra point from me if they cast someone else for the role. I think the director probably thought the script was strong enough, and because the movie is supposed to be silly that it wouldn't matter who played Gwen (Reid's role). However, putting my hatred for her aside, I do recommend this film for a good laugh.
  
  
• Cliche, Cliche, Cliche, Cliche
  By A8IN0HZ4TGT1 on 2002-08-31
  ... this movie was awful. It has been a long time since I saw a movie that was more predictable and more cliche. Plot: Big man on campus, party guy, has a crisis, he is then forced to grow up and shows everybody that he is really a good guy - Oh please! This movie was so bad. To even imagine that the same entity, National Lampoon, brought us Animal House is almost beyond belief. Do not buy, rent or watch this movie. Watch Animal House again - a much better use of your time. ... A few (like two) scenes with breast - big deal. If you think you are going to get some benifit by watching the "unrated version", think again. For those viewers and critics that thought this movie was good - you need to sit down with some older movies and realize that this movie is nothing more than regurgitated crap -
  
  
• laugh out loud funny!!
  By A16837CKPTA07O on 2002-09-17
  If you enjoyed American Pie and Road Trip, than you will LOVE Van Wilder. This movie was so outrageously funny that I had tears rolling down my face!
  Van Wilder is a student in his seventh year in college and his father has chosen to stop paying for his tuition. Van and his personal assistant come up with some pretty creative ways to earn money for his education. He starts with topless tutors and works his way from there.
  On top of all the stress of trying to come up with money to stay in school, Van has fallen in love, with a taken girl ( Tara Reed). He needs to figure out a way to get her to ditch her "FRAT BOY" man.
  All in all Van Wilder is a great movie, full of funny situations that will have you rolling on the floor. I only have one warning....DO NOT watch this movie while you are eating.....trust me!!!
  
  
• Van Dumber
  By on 2004-05-29
  Let's put it this way: it takes a lot more than farting strippers and a dog with giant testicles to make me laugh. Should we have to watch another wannabe actor try to distinguish himself by doing what looks like a bad Jim Carey impression throughout the movie? What do you call toilet humor without the humor? Will Tara Reid ever act, or will she be stuck in an eye-candy phone booth forever? Is sex talk supposed to be funny just because it's coming out of the mouth of an ethnic guy with an accent? When a movie has nothing else going for it, is throwing in a pair of naked boobs really going to make much difference? These are but some of the questions "Van Wilder" poses.
  Here's a tip for the guys over at National Lampoon:
  Animal House = a funny movie about idiots
  Vacation = a very funny movie about an idiot
  Van Wilder = an unfunny movie starring, and made by, idiots
  Moral: Comedies are supposed to be funny.
  
  
• National Lampoons Van Wilder Sucks!!!
  By A82LIVYSX6WZ9 on 2004-10-30
  Ryan Reynolds (Blade Trinity, The Alarmist) plays the lead character in this totally boring, mindnumbingly crappy comedy about Van Wilder, the go to guy on campus. Tara Reid (American Pie 1 and 2, Urban Legend) plays the journalist who gets close to Wilder. This is suppose to be a funny movie? No it is not. The idiotic and tasteless gag jokes weigh this movie down and it does have a lot of potential but jokes about dogs testicles and filling cream donuts with the whatchama call it and this being National Lampoon, it's hard to imagine what the franchise was thinking putting this on their list. Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, Tvs Angel), Daniel Cosgrove (Tvs Guiding Light, Valentine), Paul Gleason (The Breakfast Club, Not Another Teen Movie), Erik Estrada (Sealab 2021, Chips), Edie McClurg (Ferris Buellers Day Off) star as well. Tim Matheson and Stephen Furst from National Lampoons Animal House also star. This is suppose to be a homage to Animal House but it is a insult more then a tribute
  
  
• Funny movie, even if everything in the genre will always be compared to Animal House
  By A2EBLL2OYEQJN9 on 2006-02-20
  National Lampoon's 1978 classic college frat-boy movie, Animal House, has spawned legions of imitators, none of which truly hold a candle to the original. Now, National Lampoon is revisiting the college-humor genre again, and while Van Wilder is a decent comedy with all the necessary T&A (especially in the unrated version), it is nothing spectacular. One marked departure from the normal college debauchery and laughs is the insertion of a romantic love story line which, while a little weak, adds another dimension to this film. This is not highbrow film, but you may well enjoy spending an hour or so with this lewd, crude, laugh-out-loud funny comedy.
  
  
• High bitrate AVC encode ---> Marginal picture quality
  By A35NLDCP383393 on 2007-08-25
  First of all, I loved the movie. The audio is spectacular, the video marginal. They used an AVC encode that is always over 30Mbps which should yield a top-tier image. Unfortunately the result is less than spectacular.
  
  Buy it if you like the movie. Skip it if you already have the DVD.
  
  
• COOL MOVIE
  By A3HYSWSWX08RPS on 2002-03-01
  He's the biggest man on campus. He's the boss with the sauce. He's the guy all the girls want and all the guys want to be. In the collegiate jungle, there can be only one king...and at Coolidge College it's Van Wilder. Van's been "The Man" at Coolidge these past seven years because...when you love a place, why leave it? His dorm room is totally tricked out with the comforts of home...if home happens to be MTV's Real World. With a full-time assistant, a personalized golf cart, and immediate entree into every club committee, frat house, classroom and administrative office, there's no place he'd rather be, doing the thing he does best: helping out the underdog! With a heart minted in 24k gold, Van uses his influence, wiles and considerable charms to help the "loser" be a winner - from the virginal foreign exchange student to the sickest kid on campus, or the downcast underclassman who just needs to hear his inspirational, homespun wisdom to get back on up.
  
  
• Lampoon's Van Wilder not "Animal House" 2002
  By A2K5GCKTYCG0I4 on 2002-04-06
  National Lampoon has done it again. The raw, gutter humor will make this film a low-brow classic. Their earlier film, "Animal House," pitted Delta Chi against Sigma Chi to depict a class struggle between the 'have and have-nots.' It was a satire on campus life in the 1950s. Using the other hand, "Van Wilder" is much more individualized. Although it fails to give any real insights into fraternity brotherhood or higher ed mismanagement, the formula is the same. It is politically incorrect in every way - and funny as hell for the culturally challenged!
  
  
• Uh, I've Seen Wilder
  By AOAW5ARGQWSCY on 2002-09-03
  Now here's a movie that has great potential to be a great college comedy. The movie is very funny and some great comedic moments, mostly coming from the star of the film, Ryan Reynolds. Ryan has some really good on screen chemistry and I sure hope to see him in some more comedies to come. The film has a good, although sometimes off the wall gross, script and keeps things interesting most of the way through. (Although the film is a little bit on the predictable side) The supporting cast does a great job, especially the part of "Taj" who provides some of the funniest moments in the movie, next to Ryan Reynolds. The only weak link I found in the cast is Tara Reid. She is simply a terrible actress. No talent at all. A monkey could act better than her. Totally listless and uninspired. It is very obvious that her acting jobs did not come to her due to her incredible acting talent. She should be thankful she's so good looking or she would be acting in some off off off off off broadway production of Our Town.

  Otherwise, the movie comes off pretty funny. It drags in a few cases, but picks back up rather quickly. I gave it 3 stars. I took away 1 star because I felt that they could have worked with the story a little more. (Maybe show some more of the "parties" Van plans) I mean, he earned all this money for planning all these parties and we got to see, what, 2 of them?!? And I took off the other star for Tara Reid's awful as usual performance.

  A solid effort from National Lampoon's. I wouldn't put it up there with the Vacations or Animal House, but A good comedy none-the-less. 3/5
  
  

• Okay, so it's not Animal House.
  By A2U109NBAFMO88 on 2002-09-18
  When a film says, "From the makers of Animal House," one kind of expects a movie like Animal House (maybe it didn't, but that was my impression). Van Wilder is unfortunately not Animal House. Animal House was an epic comedy that defined a generation. Van Wilder was a pathetic attempt to define a generation.
  However, I must say that I enjoyed it. It was filled with the great, endearing characters that made us love National Lampoons to begin with. Ryan Reynolds was great, but while being at times very raunchy, had a certain sweetness to him. Tara Reid was great. But the thing that carried the movie was the writing. From the opening scene, the writing enchants and enthralls you and keeps you laughing.
  The R-rating is for some SICK humor, sexuality, nudity and language. If you enjoy sex comedies that keep you in stitches, this is for you.
  
  
• Animal House -- NOT
  By on 2002-10-05
  This film provides a hackneyed plot that I presume is supposed to be a vehicle for some really gnarly gross-out humour (of the Something About Mary variety). While I smiled a bit at a couple of the gags, mostly the movie was really slow and lame. For instance a key scene involves Van Wilder trying to talk a guy out of suicide while not wearing any pants. I mean that's not a joke, it's just stupid. It might be funny if you are drunk enough, but this is about 20 steps below American Pie (think American Pie II) and is not worth the price of a rental, much less purchasing.
  Comparing this to the original Animal House is like comparing Mozart to Britney Spears. Avoid at all costs.
  
  
• Pass the eclairs!!
  By A1EI65WJC85U68 on 2002-10-19
  Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds, TVs 2 GUYS AND A GIRL) is a total party animal, who is so much The Big Man on campus at Coolidge College that he enlists a horny Indian exchange student to act as his P.A. But his Dad freezes his college funds, limiting his college days and his social status. (His credo is "Don't be a fool, stay in school" which he uses after he fails to stop a fellow student from leaping to his death). After seven years of college he doesn't want to face up to the fact that out in the Real World he'll be a nobody. But inspiration, ingenuity and sheer determination strike, which seems strange for such a lazy so-and-so; and he soon starts a lucrative business as VAN WILDER: PARTY LIAISON putting an end to parties "that suck". AMERICAN PIE's Tara Reid also stars. As her character notes of Van: "Most people want to get out of school so they can make money, you want to make money so you can stay IN school".
  The movie also stars an adorable bulldog whose, um, tackle helps set up VAN WILDER's peak gross out, which tops AMERICAN PIE's "warm apple pie" scene. Don't say you weren't warned...
  
  
• Ryan Reynolds is outstanding.
  By A137QJXNEWH7MR on 2002-10-24
  Van Wilder is more of an average teen movie than anything else. It's not exquisite, outlandish, bizarre, subtle or dark. There's tons of movies like these, and rarely do i feel bound to them as much as i did to this one. Unlike Kevin Smith's greatness to the averageness of comedy on say Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the few gems that surface on the average teen genre don't entirely rely on the script, but rather on the performance. Saving Silverman is a good example. Jack Black and Steve Zahn pretty much own the whole movie. They put that little something into it that makes you not care how many times you watch it when you feel like comedy rather than anything else. Ryan Reynolds did exactly that with this movie. His personality obviously transmutated into his character, which is much like that back in his sitcoms days. He is a superb comedian, and much like Will Ferrel, he knows how to say things and how to act that same expression out. It's those little details that put you at ease and eager to watch it again. He is also extremely well complemented by Taj, Kal Penn, who gives additional comic relief throughout.
  Trying not to focus much on the fact it's a National Lampoon movie, and the fact that it relies so much on the tried and true boy-meets-girl linearity, it's still a very good movie. I don't even really dig these type of comedies that much, not enough to buy the DVDs.. but there are exceptions.
  
  
• Should You Invest the Time to Watch It?
  By on 2003-08-03
  In short, yes. Ryan Reynolds, just below the popular Hollywood radar screen, makes this movie. It is worth viewing if only to see him and the witty, rhythmic script work in time. If you haven't gathered the shallow plot yet, Reynolds plays Van Wilder, a popular kid on campus that is taking too long to graduate. And he happens to be rich, which is really irrelevant to the plot. This aspect of the movie, sort of a rough version of Ferris Bueller, Part II, is the movie's most charming aspect and it delivers lots of laughs. Unfortunately, the movie fails on one major aspect by resorting to the trendy gross-out gags that will mark this movie as one of those "late 90's" gross-out comedies. Yes, the genre is past its prime. And what a shame, because there was so much there. There were some deep ranks in the cast that were barely used as well (Curts Armstrong, Tim Matheson, Paul Gleason, etc.). And too much screen time is given to Tara Reid as the love interest. Judging by the reviews here, one can only assume she is here for the box office draw. Certainly one should not listen to the other reviews praising her acting (awful) or, frankly, her looks. She always looks road-weary to me, from scene to scene her face changes dramatically - like she just returned from a two week bender to total stress. This wasn't filmed in Prague folks, it was filmed in UCLA - maybe a 20 minute drive for her. She should have been cast as an extra in the background of one of Wilder's wild parties. But as a reporter, it was a stretch. For instance, I was far more interested in her self-absorbed frat-boy boyfriend (played masterfully by Danial Cosgrove) than her. Cosgrove, by the way, takes the sex scene to the funniest level I have ever witnessed on film. The plot could have been thickened by making Van Wilder's love interest (Reid) an old flame that returns to campus to do her story. But the writers copped out and, that is alright because it is a comedy after all. Finally, the references to Animal House are absurd. I liked Animal House when it first came out - it was gound breaking. Even the Belushi urinating off the porch scene was considered "gross-out" at the time. But let's move on folks. This really is a funnier movie - far less sinsiter - and I grew up with the original SNL cast!
  Bottom line, I would advise renting just to see Reynolds, but don't watch it for the gags or Reid. You have seen it before.
  
  
• Great College Frat Humor
  By A13TO1ZFAH9SVN on 2004-08-05
  Van Wilder is the kind of movie you either love or hate. It's definetly a movie thats geared toward older teenage and 20's men. Its that dirty disgusting gross out humor, so if you don't like that kind of stuff get off this page.
  
  Van Wilder(Reynolds) has been in college for 7 years. He's loved his years at Coolidge and the students love him. Wilder is so popular he has a personal assistant Taj(Penn) an Indian exchange student that Wilders promises to get some action. Thats all Wilder really does. He doesn't go to classes, but parties. It's at one of these parties where his dad finds him at tells him he's cutting his money supply.
  
  With no money Wilder can't pay his tutition. So he starts throwing parties for cash to stay in school. In the meantime Gwen(Reid) has been given the assignment to write a paper on Van. Gwen wants nothing to do with Van and thinks he a loser. She has to do the story and quickly finds herself falling for him. She wants him to graduate and he's not so sure on it. He likes Gwen but he's not sure if he can change for her.
  
  I love Ryan Reynolds. This guy is one of the funniest underrated guys in Hollywood. His comedic timing is awesome and he's so sarcastic. He pulls it off like very few can. This guy is going to be huge one day.
  
  This is also Tara Reid's best movie. She is so hot in it. She has good chemistry with Reynolds, and it's not the typcial character we always see her playing. It's really ironic to see her play this kind of character to who she is as a person.
  
  This movie is labeled as Animal House but it isn't. It's not as good as Old School either. It is however a very funny movie. It's a fun gross out comedey. If you like those kind of movies, then pick this one up. If you don't, like I said earlier why are you here.
  
  
• Decent "Frat" Movie: No More, No Less
  By A2GYX971VETQBV on 2005-05-26
  NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER is a decent comedy that lies in the shadow of ANIMAL HOUSE. There are parts of this movie that had me laughing hysterically. There are other parts where the crude humor fell completely flat and even I was a little taken aback (and that is saying something). One interesting part of this film is that it seems to get tired with the "campus craziness" routine and opt for a college romance movie instead. I'm not sure whether I approve of the decision. As a college comedy, VAN WILDER ranks among the better ones, but it cannot really maintain any believability for its love story. Overall, I was entertained by this film, but its somewhat inexperienced cast give it a bit of an "amateur" feel. Check it out if you love "fraternity" movies or enjoy simple comedies.
  
  
• READ THIS to avoid wasting your money
  By A1MYMH5WNAZ8VU on 2005-09-11
  This was one of the WORST movies I have ever seen -- and I LOVE college movies! The acting was horrible and the plot was dumb and simply a rip-off of other movies. It simply wasn't funny, and the gross-out jokes really pushed the limit -- anybody's limit! The lead actor does a HORRIBLE impression of Chevy Chase during the whole movie -- go rent Fletch if you want to watch a quality movie with that type of character. And, most laughably of all, one of the main characters is Teck, from the Real World on MTV! He's not an actor, he's just a reality tv nobody, so what the heck is he doing in this movie? This movie went straight to video for a reason, so avoid it at all costs!
  
  

• Old School (Widescreen Unrated Edition)
• Waiting... (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
• Eurotrip (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
• Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (Unrated Extended Edition)
• Road Trip (Unrated Edition)