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School For Scoundrels [2006]


RRP: £15.99
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

School for Scoundrels is the kind of stupid-fun comedy for which the phrase "Wait for the DVD" was invented. Like a lot of its jokes, it fell flat in its brief theatrical release, but there's enough funny stuff here to warrant a look, especially if you enjoyed writer-director Todd Phillips' previous films Old School and Road Trip. Of course, Phillips also directed the comedy remake of Starsky and Hutch, so you know there's going to be as many misses as hits in the movie's constant barrage of slapstick, insults, and tasteless gags. Loosely inspired by the 1960 British comedy directed by Robert Hamer, this crudely Americanized version finds a meek and geeky parking-meter reader named Roger (Napoleon Dynamite's John Heder) looking for love and not getting any, so he enrolls in a confidence-building school led by Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton), who turns out to be Roger's #1 rival in his quest to win the heart of Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), Roger's cute Australian neighbour and the would-be girl of his dreams. As an escalating war of one-upmanship in which Roger's quick learning provokes Dr. P's competitive instincts, School for Scoundrels isn't exactly a laff-riot, but it's got some aces up its sleeve that make it worthwhile, like a crazed appearance by Ben Stiller, a fun if not-always-funny supporting cast (Michael Clark Duncan, Horatio Sanz, Todd Louiso) and a pair of stars who work well together as comedic opposites in the game of love. --Jeff Shannon


Post pub fodder.
Review date: 2007-11-02 Rating: 4 out of 10

If you have seen the original "School for Scoundrels" with Terry Thomas and Ian Carmichael and you rent this film expecting it to be just as funny then you're going to be disappointed.
It's fine if you like films where wit and subtlety have been replaced by casual swearing.
Come back from the pub on a Friday night and pop this into the DVD player and you'll get a few laughs.
A talented cast tries its best with the thin script but they can only do so much.

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Reviews


Decent if lazy comedy - could have been better
Review date: 2007-09-07 Rating: 6 out of 10

In this one, you've got my third favourite actor (after Kurt Russell and Bruce Willis, obviously), Billy Bob Thornton, once again playing the role of an obnoxious, insensitive jerk. His character, Dr P, is running the school of the title, which is supposed to help wimpy types gain the confidence they're lacking, mostly by learning to be confrontational and rude. Drippy Jon Heder signs up for classes, but he quickly finds that Dr P is not all he seems, and a pretty funny rivalry develops between the two over the pash rights to Heder's cute Australian neighbour.

This is decent stuff, and I laughed enough to ensure it slid into the three star bracket rather than two, but with a concept that seems ripe for all manner of hilarity, it's a little disappointing that it isn't funnier. It has its moments - especially as you watch the class make their first tentative efforts to assert themselves - but not quite enough to sustain an entire film. Thornton and Heder are okay, but their funniest moment comes in one of the disc's extras, when they have a conversation in the style of their most well known characters - Thornton as Sling Blade's Karl Childers and Heder as Napoleon Dynamite's... um... Napoleon Dynamite. It's never a good sign when your biggest laugh comes from a special feature.

Still, School For Scoundrels isn't a total waste of time. There are a few chuckles, Michael Clarke Duncan and Ben Stiller give good support, and the notion that learning to be a bigger jerk is a sure path to success is a funny one, even if they cop out on it later in the story. If you want something undemanding and reasonably amusing, this one is a rental rather than a purchase.

A gold star for the scoundrels
Review date: 2007-07-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

The trailer made this remake look like quite a slapstick affair, but in reality this has got quite a lot more going for it. Its basically a comedy version of Fight Club with a twist of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Game thrown into the mix. Heder plays a traffic warden who joins a secret school run by Billy-Bob, a man who makes losers into lions...or does he?
I havent seen the original but I thought this was an excellent and extremely funny film.
The special features are above average with an alternate ending that manages to better the original (not as silly) and a 30 minute featurette which sends up sycophantic "making of..." documentaries and features a very funny moment where Thornton and Heder send up their Napoleon Dynamite/Sling Blade characters.

Yes, Funny
Review date: 2007-06-05 Rating: 6 out of 10

Though "School for Scoundrels" ultimately, much like its lead protagonist, lacks the courage of its convictions to succesfully claim superiority that otherwise could have been a possibility. There's no question of the motion picture's ability to make an audience laugh, with intelligent humour mixed in with several sequences of slapstick throughout. Were "School for Scoundrels" courageous enough to fulfill its goals and go in different, unexpected directions than it eventually does, this comedy could well have been one of the best in recent times. Boosted by the comic talents of Jon Heder, who rose to fame via indie-comedy "Napoleon Dynamite", but equally dragged down by Heder's substandard dramatic abilities "School for Scoundrels" almost has a perfect lead too. Alas, this fails to be a great comedy and instead qualifies simply as good, not memorable enough to stick with the viewer but funny enough to provide an adequate source of entertainment.

Roger (Jon Heder) has a pretty rotten existence. Bullied by co-workers and general members of the public alike, Roger suffers a from immeasurably low confidence. Such lacking of confidence prevents him from getting anywhere close to love-of-his-life Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), who lives in the apartment room directly opposite his. However, things begin to look up when Roger is enlisted into a confidence-building program headed by eccentric and outspoken Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton). Eventually Roger plucks up the courage to start talking to Amanda, but is soon enough hindered by the very man he expected to help him with his dream relationship when Dr. P sets his sights on Amanda too. From thereon, its all out as the two nemesis' battle it out for Amanda's affections.

As referenced earlier in the review, Jon Heder as an actor is a very mixed bag. Superb when it comes to garnighing laughs, Heder is the opposite when challenged with the dramatic elements of "School for Scoundrels". Were Heder a more well-rounded actor, this comedy drama could well have been the beneficiary. Billy Bob Thornton is fantastic as love rival and eventual enemy to Heder's Roger in the form of the slimy and wholly unhelpful Dr. P, a man intent on stealing Amanda away from Roger at all costs. As for Amanda herself, Jacinda Barrett is likeable and fittingly attractive as the target of the warring opposites. Though little is actually asked of her performance-wise, Barrett is fun to watch whenever on screen. Michael Clarke Duncan's Lecher, assistant to Dr. P, never gets above one-dimensional status.

Filling out the rest of the feature players are numerous comic talents. David Cross is quality whenever in his brief scenes. Matt Walsh is drastically under-used as one of Roger's fellow confidence-lacking buds. Shining as two more of Roger's program-buddies are Todd Louiso and Horatio Sanz, probably the best of all the supporting players. Elsewhere, Ben Stiller gets the worst role of the entire film as one of Dr. P's previous patients/victims turned cat collector.

"School for Scoundrels" goes in unpredictable directions with much of its humour, with satir ever-present but differentiating in style to give the movie a more enjoyable feel. Too often, however, amateurish slapstick rules the roost. Rest assured, testicular trauma is never far around the corner -- even when you think its long since past. Some of the slapstick is funny, but not in a way that audiences will appreciate any intelligence in it. At times, "School for Scoundrels" qualifies as all-out dumb fun before reverting back to the surprisingly witty dialogue that hands the picture its most memorable laughs (example: a scene in the airport involving Todd Louiso and Horatio Sanz).

"School for Scoundrels" isn't a visionary delight nor can much be deciphered amongst the whole event that amount to noteable originality. What it is though, is a fun little comedy that unfortunately never amounts to laugh-riot status despite fleeting glimpses of such potential. Enjoyable but hardly the pinnacle of divine comedy.

Funny!
Review date: 2007-04-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

This film is sooo halarious! if u like comedys such as The Benchwarmers and Napoleon Dynamite, Baseketball and other 'stupid' comedys - this is a film for you! (And especially if you are a fan of Jon Heder's geeky previous roles!) i recommend it 2 all!!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Sarah Silverman
Horatio Sanz
Paul Scheer
Todd Louiso
David Cross

Creators:
Sarah Silverman (Primary Contributor)
Horatio Sanz (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Entertainment
EAN: 5014437923431
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-06-25
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 103 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006
Language: English (Original Language)

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