Review: Van Wilder: Freshman Year (2009)

Directed by: Harvey Glazer | 98 minutes | comedy | Actors: Jonathan Bennett, Kristin Cavalleri, Kurt Fuller, Steve Talley, Nestopr Aaronm Absera, Nic Nac, Jerry Shea, Meredith Giangrande, Irene Keng, Linden Ashby, Mike Pniewski, Brett Rice, Sonny Shroyer, Terrie Thompson, Dennis Luciani, Mike Brune

With “Van Wilder: Freshman Year” another black page is added to film history. The series, which once started as fairly promising in 2002 with Ryan Reynolds in an infectious lead, had a less good sequel with part II (“Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj”). But in part three, advertised as a prequel to part I, the bottom has been reached in terms of humorlessness.

Protagonist Jonathan Bennett does a lot of effort to be “liked”. And the supporting roles are also filled in stupidly. His roommate, Farley Marley, is a white (!) Boy who talks with a heavy Jamaican accent and is constantly (of course!) High. The Chinese in one of the lead roles is blessed with the name Yu Dom Fuk (pronounced: You Dumb Fuck). Hilarious, isn’t it?

Anyway, the story in a nutshell. Like his dad thirty years earlier, Van Wilder goes to Coolidge College. Upon arrival, he is immediately reminded by the dean, Colonel Reardon, of the new house rules: no kissing, no partying, no drinking and no drugs. Yes, but we are not married like that, Van thinks and immediately leaves his mark to shake things up a bit. Van quickly becomes “the big man on campus”. This to the great sadness of brute force Dirk, the dean’s errand boy. The fact that Van also puts a lot of effort into playing chess for Kaitlin, Dirk’s sweetheart, doesn’t make things any easier. The banalities follow each other in rapid succession and of course there is enough to enjoy (!) Gratuitous nudity in “Van Wilder: Freshman Year”. Because from devout Christians, the girls at Coolidge College turn into sex-hungry sluts in no time. Logical right? This, interspersed with a hint of homophobia, machos versus wimps, and a completely unbelievable link with the military, make “Van Wilder: Freshman Year” a true misrepresentation. It’s just more of the same.

If you like “American Pie” and “Road Trip” you may not feel cheated. But even these films have “Van Wilder: Freshman Year” to lose. What is that, the American teenager’s preoccupation with “beer and babes”? Is going crazy on campus really the highest possible good? This part of the Van Wilder series has the subtitle “The man. The myth. The beginning. “In addition, it promises” more beer babes and more beer “. Let “the beginning” be “the end” right away. Been there, done that. Next! One star is due to the excellent acting performance of the American bulldog and the good music of young bands. Don’t spend your precious free time on this. Very much ignored!