Movie review

Film's plot Old School
by Brian Wainstein, Reporter

   A trio of working men relive their glory days in one of the newest Dream-Works productions, Old School.

   This movie is typical of its genre, with only a few elements changed. Old School uses the cliched "add dysfunctional frat, a slight pinch of college highjinks, one crotchety dean and stir" formula.

   Admittedly, Old School has its humorous points. Will Ferrell, playing Frank the Tank, delivers his usual slapstick performance, but most of his contributions to the movie were entirely unnecessary.

   In fact, if Ferrell's scenes were cut, the movie would mature dramatically.

   Luke Wilson, playing Mitch, a lawyer, and Vince Vaughn, playing Beanie, the founder of an electronics store chain, carry the movie. Most of the scenes that actually develop the plot focus on Wilson's and Vaughn's characters.

   Old School begins with Mitch's walking in on his wife participating in a menage-a-trois.

   After Frank's wedding, Beanie finds a house for Mitch near a college campus and holds Mitch-a-palooza, a giant party with a famous rap artist (I won't spoil the surprise), for him.

   Frank proceeds to get drunk and make a fool of himself. The next morning, the school dean, played by Jeremy Piven, arrives to declare that the house has been rezoned for college use only.

   On top of that, Frank is kicked out of his home for embarrassing his wife.

   The three refuse to admit defeat and, because of a loophole in the college's bylaws, are able to form a fraternity to comply with the zoning order, a fraternity including pledges of all age groups, as well as pledges not actually enrolled in the college.

   Dean Pritchard gets wind of their plan and attempts to destroy the fraternity.

   Old School is really another generic college fraternity movie, reminiscent of the cult classic Animal House.

   Proponents of crass humor will find the movie enjoyable, but for everyone else, wait for the video.