Old School (Widescreen Unrated Edition) Reviews

• what? unrated? whats the difference?

  
  By A97B72F4UI8FA on 2003-06-11
  This movie is hilarious, and I would give the movie itself 4 our of 5 stars. But there is hardly any difference between the unrated cut and the R rated cut of the movie. When you have topless women on the menu and on the back of the cover, one might be mislead to think there was tons more nudity, when in reality there are 2 brief scenes with any type of nudity (besides will ferrel's butt scene). This movie could have easily passed the R rating cut, as the unrated thing is nothign but a marketing ploy. I bought the movie for laughs and definately not for sex, but for someone who does, the "UNRATED AND OUT OF CONTROL" part is quite misleading.
  
  

• Sort of an Animal House 25th anniversary tribute.

  
  By AUDSM2CTLLW1Q on 2003-03-25
  "Old School" brings back the fun and irreverence of the days of "Animal House" that so few movies seem willing to revisit. Comedy these days seems built around 'paint-by-numbers' formulas or 'let's see how much we can gross people out' shock characteristics. Current releases like "Boat Trip" and "Bringing Down the House" fall in the former category while any movie involving Tom Green or the Farrelly Brothers falls into the latter category. In "Old School", it's refreshing to see a movie that takes a 'devil may care' attitude with its plot and characters while also have the common sense to push the envelope where appropriate without ever crossing the line (following "Animal House's" lead).
  
  In "Old School", Mitch (played by Luke Wilson) is depressed after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend. He moves into a new house near the local college campus and his two best friends, Beanie (Vince Vaughn) and Frank 'the Tank' (Will Ferrell) decide to cheer him up by using his new house to throw a wild 'freedom' party. In a party complete with nubile co-eds, binge drinking, and a performance by Snoop Dogg, the party becomes legendary and draws the ire of the college dean, who just happens to be some nerd that Mitch, Beanie, and Frank tormented in high school. He attempts to take the house from Mitch by claiming it can only be used for campus-related events. This sparks Beanie's imagination to create the most unorthodox fraternity in existence to circumvent the dean's ruling. From there, "Old School" engages in the type of 'us against the administration' hi-jinx that made "Animal House" such a riot.
  
  Will Ferrell gives a performance worthy of John Belushi with his Bluto-esque take as Frank the Tank, whose relapse back into his college days fractures his brand new marriage. Yet, it doesn't seem to affect Frank too too much. Ferrell, as witnessed by his years on Saturday Night Live, is one of the more gifted physical comedians performing today. He has the lunacy of a Jim Carrey without any of the pretentiousness or self-importance that seems to plague Carrey. Vince Vaughn gives another winning performance as a typical, sleazy salesman type who remains just enough on the side of respectability that you still like the guy. It's classic Vaughn. Luke Wilson's performance isn't quite as memorable, but his lovable-loser demeanor fits the role of Mitch perfectly. There are a number of other supporting characters that, while barely more than one-dimensional, make this film a winner (Blue, the 80-year fraternity pledge is a personal favorite).
  
  With world events becoming more somber and depressing and with movies becoming increasingly disappointing, it's quite a relief a no-frills good time can be had at a theater. "Old School" lets the audience feel that kind of relief.
  
  

• Great cast, too hilarious to ignore!!

  
  By A254Z4O7ORVL6U on 2003-02-22
  I just saw this movie about three hours ago, and I have to say it is the best movie I've seen in the theater in a long, long time. The starring cast is unbelievable, as Luke Wilson (from 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and 'Legally Blonde'), Will Ferrell (SNL funnyman/'A Night At The Roxbury' star), and Vince Vaughn (from both 'Made' and 'Swingers') star as three married buddies who begin a fraternity; or something like it. And along with the three stars, there's a great list of supporting roles and cameos. Including Sean William Scott (Stifler of 'American Pie'), Andy Dick, CBS Late Late Show's Craig Kilborn, and Jeremy Piven. And once you get past the long cast list, you have a very funny movie. As the movie starts, you get a glimpse of each of the three stars and their lives; as far as their marriages go. Then as it turns out, none of them are really happy.

  And as Mitch (Luke Wilson) gets divorced and moves into a frathouse near a college, they decide to start a fraternity. But it's not like any old club on campus--for this one you don't even have to go to the college. Anyway, as the film roles on, you can imagine what (and if you saw the previews, you get the gist of it) they do. They drink, party, and slowly drift away from the lives they have with their wives. And I have to say, out of the three star performances, Vince Vaughn's was the best. Will Ferrell's certainly is the funniest, but Vince was great. He sort of carries in the same swagger-style he had in the riotous movie 'Made'; something that works very well for him. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the previews don't even begin to prepare you. It's definitely not one of those movies that is only funny in the previews. The laughs portrayed there are multiplied by 100, at least.

  For those of you who saw 'Road Trip' you'll not be let down with 'Old School'. And being that it's from the same director (Todd Phillips), that makes sense. But this one is better. Much better. This time around the director takes it to a whole new level. And the characters are more well-rounded here than they were in 'Road Trip'. The slogan of the movie says it all: "All the fun of college. None of the education." I think that speaks for itself.

  So I could leave you here saying that if you liked 'Road Trip' you will like 'Old School'; and that's it. But that's not true. This is not just a "teen cult" movie--or whatever they're calling it these days--it's much much more than that. It's a hilarious movie with an astonishing/almost too hilarious cast that will keep you laughing even through the closing credits (courtesy of Ferrell and Vince). And it's not every day I put an exclamation point on my review titles, much less two. I gave the movie 5 stars because that's what it deserves. It's a 5 star movie, there's not getting around it. And again, if you saw the previews and you laughed (or even thought about laughing) then you need to see this movie. There's so many great lines and so many awesome scenes that I couldn't even begin to list them; I wouldn't know where to start. Go see this movie.
  
  

• Some good, unclean fun

  
  By A3N5XIM9R2OQH0 on 2003-02-23
  I was expecting a good movie when I went to see "Old School," but I wasn't expecting something THIS good. This movie is, simply put, absolutely hilarious, and it's got lots of brains and heart to go with the goofball humor. I'm not really into lowbrow comedies, but "Old School" is a very intelligent take on the typical fratboy fare. The humor is goofy, but witty at the same time, and there are even some real emotions on display. The plot revolves around three thirtyish friends who start up a fraternity with some local college students, and it gets a nonstop stream of laughs out of the idea of guys trying to reclaim some of their lost youth. Will Ferrell is especially great as the loopy Frank, whether he's shooting himself with a tranquilizer dart at his friend's son's birthday party, setting himself on fire trying to jump through a hoop, or belting out an unforgettable rendition of Kansas's "Dust in the Wind" at the funeral of an elderly pledge. The underrated Luke Wilson makes a perfect straight man as Mitch, and Vince Vaughn is the picture of intensity as Beanie. It's really too bad this movie doesn't seem to be getting much attention. I don't go to the movies much anymore, but this one was more than worth the trip.
  
  

• A Cannonball of Fun!

  
  By A11PTCZ2FM2547 on 2004-03-22
  I know, I know, the plot for this film has been rehashed from "Animal House" and countless other college debauchery flicks, but so what? OLD SCHOOL is a hilarious romp of scintillating and titillating proportions, a 90-minute mad dash of sight gags, crude one-liners, and tongue-in-cheek zaniness. If college fraternities were really like this I never would have left academia (well, I did have my own "eight-year-plan," but that's another story).

  Three thirtysomething buddies (Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell) decide to revitalize their lives by cranking up a college fraternity whose members are not required to be students at the local university. Of course, such a blasphemous act draws the ire of the college's administrators (insert "Animal House" plot here), and accordingly, the fledgling frat must do battle with the corrupt, unscrupulous establishment. Sure, this ground's been covered before in countless other movies, but OLD SCHOOL adds its own loony spin of mayhem--from concrete blocks tied to fragile appendages, to eye-opening mud wrestling.

  While OLD SCHOOL's cast, from top to bottom, is excellent, Will Ferrell dominates this film (much like Dangerfield in "Caddyshack," or Belushi in "Animal House"). As Frank "the Tank" Ricard, a newlywed with a party animal mentality, Ferrell's over-the-top antics are bust-a-gut, roll-on-the-floor funny. Ferrell, whether he's streaking or performing a gymnastics floor exercise, carries this film like a fullback with a football.

  If in fact we equate entertainment with escapism (which I do), OLD SCHOOL delightfully fits the bill. You'll forget the problems of the day with this puppy, and you'll have fun in the process.
  --D. Mikels
  
  

• Where were the funny parts
  By on 2003-11-19
  I thought this movie was going to be funny, since I've heard it was better than Animal House. Where are the funny scenes? There were about 3 or 4 parts that were kind of funny, but that's about it. To compare it to Animal House is a joke. I can't count how many funny things happen in Animal House, Something About Mary, American Pie, Tommy Boy....because these movies are really funny. Old School was just kind of dumb. Maybe I just don't get Will Ferril. He starts streaking about 5 minutes into the first party, and I guess it's supposed to be funny that no one follows him, but that's it. He streaks thru the town and his wife sees him, but nothing funny happens. I guess I just didn't get this movie.
  
  
• Animal House/Reveng of the Nerds rip-off
  By A3QWNQ2WA7QZYJ on 2004-06-29
  People complain that this is a rip-off of Animal House. It isn't. It is even worse. It is a rip-off of Revenge of the Nerds. Only it doesn't have the wit, charm or likeable characters.

  My teenage kids watched this movie on the airplane during a family vacation. They saw I was renting the DVD and told me it was a crappy movie. I didn't believe them. I thought that because they were young, maybe they just didn't get it. Maybe they couldn't relate to some middle aged men trying to recapture some of their youth. Or maybe the jokes were just too mature or referenced too much of the seventies. But, they were right. It has nothing to do with character study at all. It is just a bunch of dumb, juvenile jokes that even teenagers don't think is funny.

  This movie starts off promising, and there are some funny moments in the first half. But, after that, it just gets tiresome and boring. The last half is pulled right out of Revenge of the Nerds, where the frat house has to go through a number of trials to keep their house. The trials are so contrived and uninteresting that it is just excrutiating to watch.

  I didn't think that the DVD extras were worth getting. How good can deleted scenes of a bad movie be?

  I saw the "unrated" version, expecting some racy material. I don't know what was added, but it must have been a very tame movie in the theaters. This "unrated" version is just barely R. Will Ferrell's butt, a few quick glimpses of breasts and a suggested head job that really didn't happen. Airplane! was racier than this.
  
  

• Are you Kidding me!??!
  By A1TMNSGC88DYAF on 2003-06-12
  How dare some people compare this yawn to a classic like Animal House. This movie was terrible. I love a comedy as much as the next guy but come on, give me a break. This was a bad story (been done to many times before) bad acting, bad jokes, bad everything. For you people who compare this to Animal House you need a class on classic comedies. Go rent Airplane, Animal House, even Hot Shots but dont waste your time with this tragedy.
  
  
• Just Not Funny
  By A22QPZWME85Z8T on 2003-07-15
  I know I am in the minority on this one, but that can't change the fact that I had laughed exactly two times by the time it was over. I certainly expected an evening of "gut-busting" laughter when I sat down to watch it, considering every single person I talked to said it was one of the funniest movies they had ever seen. However, as I continued to watch, I began to wonder if I was seeing the same movie everyone else saw.
  Now, I do tend to favor a different type of comedy, namely the Christopher Guest movies "A Mighty Wind", "Best in Show" and "Waiting for Guffman", but there have been a decent amount of what one would call low brow comedies that I have enjoyed. I liked the Austin Powers movies and "There's Something About Mary", I even liked "Half Baked" with all its stupidity, but "Old School" was just a dud. The jokes and gags all had a oddly familiar feel to them, like I had seen them already many times over, and they had lost their appeal a long time ago. Even the turn of events in the movie, with the cliched "mean dean of the college" and the against all odds ending didn't come off as funny but rather as tired and overused.
  There really isn't much more to say about "Old School", I mean, it's not like it warrants an in depth analysis of its "plot". To me, it's just a movie that failed to do what it was supposed to do, namely making me laugh.
  
  
• A retarded failure and just no fun
  By A63R0IAR6GE65 on 2003-07-06
  Unfunny, uninspired, and insipid. _Old School_ lacks creativity, wit, and doesn't even have the wherewithal to try to charm us with a sense of its own stupidity. I was expecting a dumb, fun, profane movie. What I got was often cynical, boring, and tame.

  Who are these characters? Is Luke Wilson's character supposed to be funny? No? And if he's the straight man, why is he so totally unsympathetic? From the very first scene, where he ditches his friends and leaves them holding the bag, to the end, am I supposed to care what happens to this guy? He sleeps with a 16-year-old, the bosses' daughter, and--nothing happens. There are no consequences, and certainly nothing funny is done with the (tired) situation. And what's with Vince Vaughn's character? Why does the movie go to such lengths to showcase him as a loyal father and faithful husband, but one who can't stop bad-mouthing marriage? Is there anything funny in that?

  The movie's listless, it has no energy, no spirit of fun. Tonally, it plays half-serious. Even Will Ferrell--who couldn't be unfunny if he tried--is unfunny here. An old man nobody cares about dies, his heart giving out before he has the opportunity to grope two naked co-eds slathered in K-Y jelly. We see the funeral, and the movie again goes to considerable lengths to show us that the old guy was a war veteran, even a war hero. How are we supposed to feel about that? What is it with the dark overtones in this movie? Is it funny that he was a veteran? Ferrell sings "Dust in the Wind"--poorly--over the flag-draped coffin, and the scene's over. What's the joke? How are we supposed to feel when Will Ferrell's wife dumps him? Happy? Are we supposed to laugh?

  Don't waste your time, or your money. Go buy or rent "Airplane" or even "Airplane 2," instead.
  
  

• Too Predictable
  By A1R602SXNGOMJ4 on 2004-07-05
  Will Ferrell is one of those guys where you either really like him, or you don't. I'm a huge fan of his but this movie was crap. I'm entertained by juvenile gross-out comedies as much as the person but the story here is so familiar that I actually started to roll my eyes. Story is about Mitch Martin (Luke Wilson) who is in his early 30's and one night he catches his girlfriend Heidi (Juliette Lewis) having orgies. He moves out and lives in a house near the University and when his best friend Bernard (Vince Vaughn) finds out he convinces him to start a fraternity so that they can party every night and meet girls. They throw a wild party one night and Mitch's buddy Frank (Will Ferrell) gets wasted and goes streaking but is caught by his wife who throws him out of the house. Frank ends up living with Mitch and the three of them quickly become legends on campus. It's been done do death.
  
  
• Total Crap
  By on 2004-07-07
  I'm a fan of Will Ferrell & was fully expecting to like this movie. Wrong! I suppose that if I were a teenage boy or a miserably unhappy married male, I would have enjoyed it, but no such luck. What a waste of time and money : (
  
  
• Just Doesn't Come Together
  By A5TZXWU8AALIC on 2004-07-25
  If you thought Will Ferrell was funny in this movie, you should immediately pick up THE BEST OF WILL FERRELL from the "Saturday Night Live" DVD series.
  
  OLD SCHOOL is not--I repeat NOT--the ANIMAL HOUSE of this generation or the 21st Century.
  It just doesn't come together. Despite a few sporadically funny scenes, the story never comes together and the characters are never as developed as the Deltas and Omegas from ANIMAL HOUSE.
  
  I've just read an article about how today's comedy is reaching the high standards of the 70's/80's (BLAZING SADDLES, SNL, SCTV, Monty Python, ANIMAL HOUSE, CADDYSHACK)--but the only problem is that this current crop of comic filmmakers have yet to produce a bonafide classic.
  Recycling TV shows (STARSKY & HUTCH) and youth/college formulas are not the way to do it.
  But if they choose that route, they should at least make something funny.
  
  
  
• A Great Surprise
  By ACRNRXMIT1X4D on 2003-02-26
  Walking into the theater, I honestly wasnt expecting much though I was looking forward to it. I thought I was about to see a predictable, episodic movie of stupid jokes and gross out gags. By the movie's end, I was thrilled I spent money on it. Not only were the jokes and situations funny but it was also acted well. Luke Wilson did a good job in a role that doesn't call for much, which is fine. It was easy for me to assume, even though I have aspirations for him, that Will Ferrell would recreate some whacky SNL character he has played before. However, he was not only hysterical but he played his character with sincerity and proved he can do much more than a random SNL character. Fast talking Vince Vaughn was terrific as usual, his lines delivered with sharp and accurate timing and all deadpan. His character, as well, was humanized and not a caricature or redundant character that a film of this kind could too easily churn out. Jeremy Piven gleefully waltzed through all his scenes as the antagonist dean with ease while making the audience hate him but be able to laugh at the same time as opposed to way too many comedic "villians." Ellen Pompeo adds just the right femininity to an otherwise mostly male oriented film to not oversaturate it and make her love interest into an obligation by the end of the film.

  Very funny, very worth it. Not a masterpiece but much better than many of the other comedies that would seem to be similar but are only so on the surface.
  
  

• MediaGab Review
  By A1SHXMC4X7X1SE on 2003-02-26
  I am a huge fan of Will Ferrell and of course I had to go see "Old School," his first movie since he left Saturday Night Live. I was really worried about seeing this movie I was hoping that it wasn't going to be a bad movie. Well I was pleasantly surprised. Will Ferrell went far beyond my expectation.

  Old School is a very funny comedy about three thirty something guys who are trying to settle down with their lives but when that fails they try to recapture their college days. Mitch Martin (Luke Wilson) moves into a college house and is talked into starting a fraternity by his friends.

  The movie was great. The comedy was brilliantly unpredictable. It is really hard now a days to come up with a comedy that hasn't been done before. Old School accomplishes just that. Of course being a fan of Ferrell I am going to go out on a limb and say he made this movie what it is.

  I give this movie a 5 out of 5. Take my advise don't listen to the critics review on this movie. Critics don't care for comedies and have judged all comedies I have seen totally wrong. If that doesn't sway you then just remember that Old school came in second in its debut weekend at the box office.
  
  

• Make that 3 1/2 stars ...
  By A15TNUM2PBS6F0 on 2003-03-11
  The last few times I went out to a movie, I saw films that depicted melodrama and violence. "Old School" was a very good diversion of not only the last two movies I saw, but a distraction from the real world. We all need it once in a while, for those of us who appreciate silly comedies like "Old School". Also, fans of Will Ferrell are going to laugh their butts off while seeing him streak. Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn also star, and I thought they were all very funny and entertaining in their roles. As usual, Wilson plays the straight man, but I can't help but adore him. He is sweet and sexy at the same time. After Wilson's character, Mitch, finds out his girl, played by Juliette Lewis, is cheating on him with internet buddies, he moves away. The house he is renting is right near a college campus.
  Ferrell's character, Frank the tank, a newlywed, is still not ready to settle down. When Beanie, Vaughn's character suggestst they start a fraternity in Mitch's house, Frank's marriage quickly dissipates after the Fraternity starts.
  If you like mindless, dumb comedies with some hilarious cameos, this is right up your alley.
  I recommend this!! GO have fun...
  
  
• Good Comedy; Be Careful With the Unrated DVD Version
  By A13910TC3NZ6LE on 2003-06-15
  First off, a word of warning to those who haven't seen the unrated version of Old School...the menu screen features topless girls. Not that I'm a prude or anything like that, but it might be a good idea to send younger children out of the room BEFORE you put it in the DVD player.

  Having said that, I feel it is necessary to address the comments of one customer reviewer who asked how anyone could dare to compare Old School to the classic Animal House and complained that the plot had been "done before". As to the first complaint, it should be noted that Old School was produced by Ivan Reitman, who has been associated with a number of great comedies in the last few years, including Animal House. As to the second, I must respectfully disagree. The notion of some thirty somethings starting their own fraternity has not to my knowledge been done before, although this movie is somewhat derivative of college comedies such as National Lampoons Van Wilder and PCU.

  The basic plot of Old School is simple enough-three 30somethings played by Vince Vaughn, Will Farrell, and Luke Wilson decide to relive their college days by starting their own fraternity. All three actors are in top form here, even Wilson, who is cast against type as a straight man. But it's Vaughn's performance as the group's leader that really makes Old School funny. Jeremy Piven, also cast against type, is the uptight dean of the college who carries a grudge because he was picked on by Wilson's Farrell's and Vaughn's characters when they were younger. Much like Animal House's Dean Wormer, he tries to get the frat tossed off campus but is unsuccessful.

  While Old School isn't quite as funny as Animal House, it is certainly worth watching as it carries on the comedy tradition set by that film, although the formula is slightly different.
  
  

• JUST OLD
  By on 2004-01-13
  Three guys long for the old beer drinking days so they form a faternity. Why thier wives and girlfriends dont miss them while they get drunk every night with college girls was not explained. They get a bunch of wierd people to join there club and then they get in trouuble with the dean. Will Farrel runs around with his behind hangin out alot in this movie because when he drinks he becomes Frank the Tank. Sort of like Animal House. A good girl comes along to help out and the crooked dean is ousted. Yawn.
  
  
• Animal House Rip-Off!!
  By A3R1FWJVKS4C0T on 2004-01-16
  You can't give it 0, ZERO, NADA Stars, so I had to give it 1. What a piece of crap!!! This was such a waste of time!! If you want to see something funny, it would be wise to invest your money on Animal House instead! Vince Vaughn(Beanie) is about the funniest thing in the movie, along with the brief scene with Andy Dick!! Other than that, a real yawner. Let's see an underage high school girl....that's right it was done in Animal House. A Dean that is going to shut down the so-called Frat....yep, Animal House again. Big party with a band....Snoop Dog....bad replacement for Otis Day....oh yes, Animal House again. An elderly pledge dies....Animal House had a horse die in the Deans office, basic rip-off, slight change. Will Farrell gets drunk and streaks!! Whoppie, not funny!! I have a copy I am willing to give away! I heard how great it was so I bought it without having seen it at the movies. That is 90 minutes of my life I can never get back!!! The laughs are few, and very far between here......AVOID!!!
  
  
• Old School, Old Plot, Old Jokes, Flat Movie
  By A1ZS82R4RC0I2N on 2004-02-04
  This comedy (?) follows the adventures of three friends (played by Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn) who can`t seem to adapt to their adult lives, so they try to return to their youth and form a fraternity. The movie then presents us countless cliches around beer, cute young girls, parties, trite rap music and inane, tepid jokes.
  "Old School" isn`t entertaining or original, and has only two or three funny moments that can`t redeem the hollowness and state of boredom created during most of it`s running time. This is just worthless, which is not a big surprise since the director`s (Todd Phillips) previous movie was the equally boring "Road Trip", and even that one was a bit better than this. Another picture to avoid.
  
  
• Pretty Funny
  By A2ASEBCEN9ZWTZ on 2004-05-24
  The boys that brought us "Road Trip" are back again with "Old School" and it's pretty much what you'd think it would be.

  THE STORY:

  Mitch (Luke Wilson), Frank (Will Ferrell) and Beanie (Vince Vaughn) are a bunch of 30-something guys who decide to open up a frat house near their old college campus and pretty much get into all the cliché frat things to some pretty hilarious results. Among other things they let in just about EVERYBODY (including an old homeless Vet) into the frat and they take on the crooked college Dean who holds a grudge against them from their old college days.

  THE COOL THINGS:

  Overall, the film is what you'd expect. It's a "dumb" comedy and the boys get themselves into some pretty hilarious fixes. Nothing sophisticated here which is good. We've got streaking, we've got the sophomoric humor and that's about it.

  THE NOT-SO-COOL THINGS:

  Well, given that it's a "dumb" comedy as you'd expect, some things are pretty funny and then again, some things aren't all that funny.

  BEST SCENES:

  1. The BJ School

  2. The Tranquilizer Dart

  3. The "Exam" Scene

  4. The KY Wrestling scene

  THE DVD EXTRAS:

  As standard for these new DVDs, you've got a truckload of extras. Like the film itself, some of them are hilarious and some of them aren't.

  1. "From the Cutting Room Floor" - 8 deleted scenes

  2. "Old School Orientation" - 13 minute film synopsis featurette

  3. "Inside the Actors Studio Spoof" - 21 minute spoof of a "serious" talk show segment with the main cast and directors, complete with overly dramatic host and canned audience reactions. It got old after like 4 minutes...

  4. "Outtakes & Bloopers" - 5 minute montage

  5. Commentary Track

  6. 3 TV Spots & 1 Trailer from the films promotion

  7. Sneak Peaks: Trailers for "Biker Boyz," "The Fast and the Furious Tricked Out Edition," and "Head of State"

  8. Photo Gallery

  9. Cast Bios

  10. Filmmaker Bios

  11. Production Notes

  THE VERDICT:

  Well, for a "dumb" comedy this is definitely one of the better ones. It was waaay better than "Road Trip" but as with stuff in this genre it's just okay. You'll get a good laugh and you'll also shake your head a few times too. Overall, not bad for a weekend rental and if you loved the movie the extras justify this as a pretty good addition to your collection if you're so inclined.

  GRADES:

  The Movie: 3 ½ stars
  The Extras: 5 stars
  Overall: 4 ¼ stars

  Recommended if you need a mindless laugh
  
  

• Stale Humor
  By A5WLUF4G7W03U on 2004-12-24
  This movie is what happens when the guys from "Animal House" decide that the real world is too real for them. To sum it up, Vince Vaughn, Will Farrell, and Luke Wilson start a fraternity in the midst of female problems in order to save Wilson's character from losing his house. From there, hilarity is supposed to ensue when they degenerate into a college lifestyle of partying it up and getting crazy.
  
  I wanted to like this movie because I like the stars of this movie. I wanted to laugh out loud, and I wanted to come away from this movie raving like everyone else did when they saw it, but I couldn't. Other than a great 80s music soundtrack and a cameo from Snoop Doggy Dog, there is nothing original about this movie that sets it apart. If you want classic National Lampoon, get "Animal House".
  
  The humor is simply stale. It's all been done before in just about every movie of this general genre since the early 80s. And while stupid-funny is good, this only manages to be stupid. It isn't even charming in its stupidity.
  
  What saved it from one star is personal bias. I love the three stars of this movie and generally enjoy watching them in action. Were it not for them, I would have turned this turkey off about halfway through.
  
  
• I wish I could choose 0
  By A9Q1Y0PLTCFHO on 2005-04-16
  I have yet to understand why so many people find this film amusing. Some have said that it was a modern day Animal House, and while I find Animal House uninteresting I think that is a serious dis to Animal House. I don't know it just seems that this movie continuously tries to be funny way to hard and ends up falling into a pile of its own crummy jokes. This movie is like a stitched together hybrid of every other "guy" film out there. I say guy film meaning, "hey lets put some girls chest on the screen and it'll be an instant hit." Well atleast its seems to have a lot of special features, so when you get tired of the film you can watch those instead. This is probably the only bad rating on here for this film but man, I've watched it once and that was more than enough.
  
  
• Old School & The Music That Makes it Cool
  By A1WP2JMHAP128V on 2005-12-15
  Ok, for everyone who has been searching for music from this movie, I think this might help..... The wedding singer in this movie was played by Dan Finnerty, comedian Kathy Najimy's husband. I read an article in People about a year ago that he was putting out a CD. I finally found it - The Dan Band, Live. I think this will be a great addition to your collection if you were a fan of his rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Everytime we hear it on the radio, my husband and I give each other the look that Frank & his wife did at the wedding. This movie is hilarious & the music makes it even better. Whenever we're looking for a good laugh, we watch this movie. An instant classic!!
  
  
• Simply stupid.
  By AQ9XQBOAHB999 on 2003-08-04
  I must say that I had an enormous expectation for this movie. It was sold out everywhere and I heard that it was fantastic. So I finally got it and went straight home to see it and in the beginnig I was excited and the minutes started to pass and nothing funny was happening. So after one hour I started to skip the scenes to see something good but actually never happened.
  This movie doesn't have a strong argument, it's supposed to be unrated but I never saw a scene with something "unrated", it's terrible it has some good ideas but the directores and producers didn't know how to develop them.
  I strongly DON'T recommend this "movie".
  
  
• Funniest Comedy in Years!!!
  By A25ZWRSEPAZS5R on 2003-11-21
  A Hilarious masterpiece from director Todd Phillips. Staring Will Ferrel as Frank "the tank", Luke Wilson as "Mitch", and Vince Vaughn as "Beanie". This instant colt classic represents the ultimate college comedy since "Animal House".
  When Mitch catches the early flight home from Denver only to catch his girlfriend cheating on him inspires his good friends Frank and Beanie to through him a "kick off" party in Mitch's new campus house as a way of "releasing him out into the wild".
  Due to regulations set forth by the Dean, Mitch is forced to turn his home into a faternity house, while recruiting fourteen new pledges. The Dean does everything in his will to get rid of this new fraternity.
  The new fraternity is the new "hit" around school, so the boys decide to do everything possible to keep the fraternity. With scene after scene of hilarious footage, "Old School" will have you on the edge of your seat with non stop laughter.
  Overall, I give "Old School" 2 thumbs up! It is the ultimate comedy for more then just a few laughs, and gets funnier each time you watch it.
  
  
• "Honey, you think KFC is still open?"
  By A2ZLROGIL2V7GV on 2004-01-01
  If you're looking for a raunchy comedy that is both funny and goofy, "Old School" is it. While it's in no way an outstanding movie, it gets the job done in the Funny Department. I'm not really picky when it comes to comedies. As long as I laugh, I'm pretty happy. This movie made me laugh numerous times, no matter how goofy or lame the gag.

  Mitch thought he had the perfect life, until he came home early one day and found out some of his girlfriend's "erotic" pastimes. Needless to say, the two break up and go their separate ways. Now, Mitch has to move out and start a new life, while still being broken up about the whole ordeal. His friends, Beanie and Frank, are determined to get their friend to be happy again---so they decide the best course of action is starting their own fraternity! The guys may be in their thirties, but they still know how to have a good time and live it up as if they were still in college. However, the dean is none too happy with the new "frat house" and is determined to get it shut down, no matter what it takes. All of this leads up to a very hilarious movie.

  Directed by Todd Philips ("Road Trip"), "Old School" is highly entertaining and comical. It's raunchy, of course, but it still knows how to be funny without going over-the-top in every scene or gag. While it's in no way a masterpiece, I was very entertained for the entire 1 hour and 32 minutes. Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn are very funny in their roles and really make the script work. The person who really steals the show, however, is none other than Will Ferrell as "Frank 'The Tank.'" I don't know if the movie would have been half as good without him. He really knows how to take his comical antics to the limit and is never afraid to try anything new (even if it means "streaking" in a neighborhood, only to be caught by his new wife moments later). All in all, the movie has many elements of hilarity that works most of the time.

  The DVD has some neat features to offer. One of the main highlights is that this is "uncensored" and shows footage that could have never been shown in the theatres. I've never seen the theatrical version, so I have no idea what was added. I do know that it is an extremely outrageous movie and can tell why exactly it is "uncensored." Surprisingly, this movie is offered in DTS. I don't really see this as a movie needing it, but hey, I'm not about to complain about it. Extras included are bloopers and outtakes, deleted scenes, featurettes, commentary, and more. Plenty of cool features to play around with.

  I ended up really enjoying "Old School" for what it was. There will be many people who will not enjoy the raunchiness of the movie, but there will be many others who will. If you're looking for just a plain ol' good time, then this might be the movie to check out. The movie did its job and made me laugh. That's usually all that I look for in a comedy, and this film succeeded in doing that--many times, for that matter.
  
  

• "I'M HERE FOR THE GANGBANG."
  By A1IR1HS8EZN0Y0 on 2004-06-26
  This looked like the last movie I would ever get, not being particularly into farces and screwball comedy. But
  if Vince Vaughn ("Swingers", "Made") is in it, then I probably will give it a look. "Old School" fulfilled Vaughn's comic promise, but it is ensemble and great.

  It starts out with just the right touch when Luke Wilson returns home and finds sexy girlfriend Juliette Lewis expecting not him but her "Internet friends," who are coming over "for the gangbang." Makes you want to do a Google search for "single girls looking for group sex."

  This is an up-dated "Animal House", maybe better. Luke's post-Juliette recovery includes moving into a house next to the college, and when it looks like he cannot stay due to school regulations, they form a fraternity. Luke is a lawyer and his legal skills keep them above the dean's attempts to disband them as part of a childhood revenge.

  Vince gives us great lines like, "What do you think, instead of spending time with my wife I'd rather hang out with 19-year old girls?"

  USC grad Will Ferrell, who once tried out for the Trojans as a punter, may carry this film through sheer craziness. There is little message, just laughs. It has some mature themes, but despite Juliette's sexual wanderings is basically tame.

  In the end, Juliette is still into swinging, when she invites Will to her next sexfest.

  STEVEN TRAVERS
  (...)
  
  

• Awesome Flick
  By A1NYYGZL21RFU6 on 2005-08-26
  The new Rat Pack..Frat Pack!! Vince Vaughn is by far the funniest with the help of Will and Luke. I recommend this movie to ANYONE. With Will Farrell's wedding, Luke Wilson moving into a new home after finding his girlfriend "boom booming" it with two strange people taking the early flight home, and Vince Vaughn constantly trying to push the envelope by creating a Fraternity house. This is by far the funniest movie I have ever seen.
  
  
• Animal House for a new generation
  By A3Q7YX84ZNUGT0 on 2006-01-15
  Nothing great in the DVD that isn't in the movie, but that really doesn't matter with a classic comedy like this. Frank the Tank, Beanie, Blue, and Mitch combine to make this one of the funniest movies in recent memory. I literally watched this 30 times since I bought it, and I laughed out loud every single time.
  
  

• Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
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• The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
• Super Troopers
• Knocked Up (Unrated Widescreen Edition)