The lesson to be learned from "Old School" is this: If you have enough funny people in your cast, you might still get a passing grade, even if the film's script merits an incomplete. OK, make that a barely passing grade for this low-brow comedy, and only if you hold to the pass-fail grading system.
"Old School" is little more than an updated, revisionist version of the 1978 comedy classic "National Lampoon's Animal House." However, unlike so many of that film's numerous wannabes, this one at least has some engaging silliness, thanks largely to a few funny and/or appealing people in the cast.
Luke Wilson stars as Mitch Martin, a real-estate attorney who's recently discovered that his live-in girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) has been cheating on him — with multiple partners. So, the broken-hearted lawyer moves into a new place, which is located on the nearby college campus.
Mitch's move thrills his immature, party-hardy buddies Frank (Will Ferrell) and Beanie (Vince Vaughn). Though they're both married, Frank and Beanie make plans to turn Mitch's new abode into Party Central. Of course, there's one person not thrilled by that development — their long-time nemesis Gordon Pritchard (Jeremy Piven), who's now the dean of the college.
Pritchard is intent on kicking Mitch and his friends off campus, using zoning laws and campus bylaws. So the three pals decide to start their own fraternity, which will allow them to stay on campus and keep the good times rolling.
This material is extremely predictable, and there are far too many bits that fall flat (especially Andy Dick's painfully unfunny cameo). But the film is also surprisingly funny at times. Much of that can be attributed to the wisecracking Vaughn, who's still doing his "Swingers" routine years later. Ditto for Ferrell, a pretty fearless comic; he'll do anything for a laugh. (His musical number and gymnastics routine are both good stuff.)
"Old School" is rated R for frequent use of strong sex-related profanity and sexually suggestive talk, crude humor and sight gags relating to sexual and other bodily functions, male and female nudity, violence (a brawl and wrestling, done for laughs), drug content (accidental use of a tranquilizer), brief sex (mostly overheard) and use of some racial epithets. Running time: 91 minutes.
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