Archived: Sep 25, 2006

> Arts & Entertainment

‘School for Scoundrels’ doesn’t make the honor roll

Movie with potential ultimately uninspired

By Drew Steck

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Overall, the film is fun but leaves your mind about 20 seconds after you leave the theater.

In good films, there is this defining moment — a turning point in which the dynamic characters change and static characters remain the same. After which, the movie is resolved and the viewer makes a final decision about whether they liked the picture or not.

Sometimes they like the picture, sometimes they don’t. And other times, they find there is no real conclusion either way. “School for Scoundrels” is one of those movies.

If you want to go see a hard-hitting political commentary or a gritty romantic film, the last thing you would want to do is go see this flick. “School for Scoundrels” is the story of a New York meter maid, Roger, played by Jon Heder (who is more commonly known as Napoleon Dynamite.)

Roger has anxiety problems when he is confronted with slightly stressful situations. His inability to talk to his neighbor Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), who is also his dream girl, leads him to take a “self-reformation” class taught by Dr. P (Billy Bob Thorton).

In this class, he and several other misfits learn how to stop taking crap from the world and start being “lions” — to become the hunters and not the hunted.

After passing with flying colors, Roger ignites Dr. P’s competitive edge and begins a series of events that pit student and teacher against each other in a battle royale. The prize is the affection of Amanda, the girl next door.

The ending is all too predictable but still fun, as truth comes to the forefront and plans collide.

Overall, the film is fun but leaves your mind about 20 seconds after you leave the theater. This is a sad fact, seeing the film comes from Todd Philips the director of the college-student staples “Old School” and “Road Trip.”

With a plot borrowed from the film “Anger Management,” the bright side of the movie should have been the supporting cast. Unfortunately, the supporting cast all received a paycheck, but none of them earned it. The movie was packed full of comedians including Sarah Silverman, David Cross, Horatio Sans, Michael Clarke Duncan and Ben Stiller, but each of their scenes was slightly disappointing.

In summary, one would be better off renting “Anger Management” and pretending it stars John Heder and Billy Bob Thornton and saving some money, rather than going to see the lukewarm comedy “School for Scoundrels.”

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