Movie Review: Old School

Gallons of beer, beautiful women, and Will Ferrel... Old School has it all, and more! Produced by Dreamworks Pictures and The Montecito Picture Company, and written by Todd Phillips, the screenwriter for Borat, The Hangover Pt. II, and many other comedies, Old School is a great college movie consisting of strong casting and an extremely comedic plot. This film sets itself apart from other college movies by providing an accurate portrayal of many aspects of college life while maintaining an engaging and incredibly humorous plot. This movie had me laughing out loud often in my dorm room, especially when my roommate walked in just as an old man was preparing to wrestle two topless girls in a pool of KY Lube.

As far as the plot goes, you follow the destruction of the respective relationships of Mitch Martin (Luke Wilson) and Frank "The Tank" Ricard (Will Ferrel) until a point is reached where neither one can continue to live in their own home. When Mitch Martin, a relatively soft-spoken and successful man, comes into possession of a house practically on the campus of the local college, Frank Ricard quickly joins him, along with their third best friend, Bernard "Beanie" Campbell (Vince Vaughn). After throwing a large and successful party, the three men are effectively back to college life, albeit without the academic side. Eventually they even end up creating their own fraternity, which is the trigger for the conflict with the dean of the school.

The characters are incredibly well-cast and have a real depth to them. Of course, Will Ferrel shines as Frank the Tank and is the source of the biggest laughs throughout the film. However, the rest of the casting is high-caliber as well, with numerous celebrity cameos during each scene. Vince Vaughn basically plays his same character from Wedding Crashers, and Luke Wilson plays a confused, slightly unenthusiastic man to the T. Also, the subtle nuances of the characters and comedic side comments from Frank add a great amount of detail to every scene.

"You're my boy, Blue!"

As for the components of the film, itself, the action and plot devices seem like genuine representations of many aspects of college life. I, myself, can relate to the humorous scenes where Will Ferrel is forcing the pledges to clean and do other ridiculous tasks. Also, the plot engages the viewer directly and forces you to root for the three amigos to win over the dean of the school. This is important in a college movie due to the fact that, without an engaging plot, the movie is forgotten and only enjoyed during the screening. This movie really leaves a lasting impression as well as your stomach muscles sore from laughing.

This film is really for anyone looking for a good laugh while following good story. The casting is brilliant and well thought out, and the plot really engages the viewer emotionally. The production value is very high as well, and this movie will not let you down. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Old School for a movie night with friends or all by yourself with a tub of ice cream.