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Without its star, 'Van Wilder' would be worse
Ryan Reynolds is 'National Lampoon's Van Wilder'
Artisan
Ryan Reynolds plays the title character in National Lampoon's latest romp through college life - and he's so darn likable you almost don't notice just how bad the movie is. Notice I say "almost."
"Van Wilder" might have gone down in history as just another teen-young-adult-sex-and-gross-things comedy except for some of the most over-the-top disgusting sequences committed to celluloid. The scenes, too revolting to describe, even had hip young things squirming in their seats. If you go, make sure you're done eating your snacks before the movie's halfway through.
That said, the movie isn't nearly as bad as many of the other teen and college comedies that have come along - and the credit, if you can call it that, falls squarely on the shoulders of the appealing Reynolds.
Reynolds' Van Wilder is a career college student who has grown to the status of legend on his campus. He's not the best-looking guy there, he isn't the smartest - he isn't even in a fraternity. But his benevolence and his rebellious-but-never-mean attitude win him the adoration of the rest of the student body. The conflict enters the film when Wilder's dad decides he won't pay for any more schooling for this perpetual student. At the same time, Tara Reid as Gwen, a star reporter for the college's newspaper, is ordered to write an in-depth profile of Van. She doesn't want to do it, and he resists spilling all his secrets - but we all know where this is going.
The smoky-voiced-vixen-with-a-brain Gwen is nearly engaged to a frat boy with a chiseled jaw who inevitably treats her like a plaything and denigrates her efforts to be a good reporter. He's even more perturbed as Gwen becomes involved with Van through her efforts to interview him.
In the meantime, Van and his friends try to come up with business ventures to raise enough cash to keep him in tuition money. A roller-disco party Van plans for the geek fraternity goes so well - and steals all the guests from Gwen's boyfriend's fraternity party - that every group on campus figures they'll pay Van to throw their bashes and become the hottest new thing on campus. Van's next venture - hiring girls for his nude tutoring business - also sets the dollars rolling in.
Van never says a mean word about anyone and treats everyone the same - geek or not. Except, that is, after Gwen's boyfriend tries to embarrass Van in front of Gwen's parents. The move backfires on frat boy when Van manages to charm all the old codgers - but Van isn't through with his nemesis yet, and this is when you should plan a bathroom break if you're averse to gross stuff. Enough said.
Reynolds has the same kind of appeal a young Chevy Chase had, and plays Van as kind of a "Ferris Bueller"-type hero. And the effect saves "Van Wilder" from being a total bomb. Tara Reid is OK in her role, but her character goes back and forth from being world-weary and hard-bitten to sleazy and playful too quickly to make much sense.
Don't expect much from this film, and you might have a good time if you like this sort of comedy. And you'll get to see an actor who might break his way out of this kind of thing in the future. But you've been warned: It's not for the squeamish.
| 'National Lampoon's Van Wilder' |
Director: Walt Becker
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid
MPAA Rating: R, for strong sexual content, gross humor, language and some drug content
