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Movies / On DVD / National Lampoon's Van Wilder
National Lampoon's Van Wilder

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National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)

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Reviews Counted:86

Fresh:16

Rotten:70

Average Rating:3.5/10

Consensus: A derivative gross-out comedy that's short on laughs.

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds, ABC’s “Two Guys and a Girl”) might be starting his seventh year at Coolidge College, but graduation is the furthest thing from his mind. Armed with a personal assistant... Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds, ABC’s “Two Guys and a Girl”) might be starting his seventh year at Coolidge College, but graduation is the furthest thing from his mind. Armed with a personal assistant and a coterie of admirers, Van has reached the status of living legend on campus, throwing bashes that make geeks popular, raise money for charity and generally “inspire the uninspired.” But when Van’s father refuses to pay any more of his son’s tuition bills, Van must turn to party planning for profit in order to continue living in under-graduate bliss, thereby becoming the subject of an exposé by disapproving school journalist Gwen Pearson (Tara Reid, Josie and the Pussycats, American Pie). What begins as a clash of wills, however, soon leads to unexpected romance as Van and Gwen both realize they have a lot to learn from each other. The only problem: Gwen’s self-obsessed, frat house boyfriend, Richard, who’s determined, at any cost, to put a stop to Van’s rule as campus king. In the tradition of Ferris Beuller’s Day Off and Rushmore, Van Wilder: Party Liaison brings us an intrepid, visionary hero with the brains and the bravado to change school as we know it. Outrageous, irreverent and absolutely charming, this winning campus comedy is all about the burden of facing real life…and the freedom that comes from not taking it too seriously. -- © 2002 Artisan Entertainment [More]

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Kal Penn, Tim Matheson

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Kal Penn, Tim Matheson, Daniel Cosgrove

Director: Walt Becker

Director: Walt Becker
Screenwriter: David Wagner, Brent Goldberg
Producer: Peter Abrams, Andrew Panay
Composer: David Lawrence
Studio: Artisan Entertainment

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Reviews for National Lampoon's Van Wilder

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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The film is all over the place, really. It dabbles all around, never gaining much momentum.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
10/06/02
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

Enthusiastically taking up the current teen movie concern with bodily functions, Walt Becker's film pushes all the demographically appropriate comic buttons.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
09/09/02
Simon Wardell
Simon Wardell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/02
Brian Walker
Brian Walker
ViewLondon

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
05/30/02
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
12/15/03
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
08/16/02
Alexander Walker
Alexander Walker
This is London
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/02/02
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: FilmFour.com | comment Comment
10/02/02
FilmFour.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Gags about laxatives, projectile vomit, oversexed senior citizens and flatulent fat guys give the film all the zip and freshness of a lost Revenge of the Nerds sequel.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
04/14/02
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY

Every gag feels forced and uninspired, every plot turn formulaic.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
04/05/02
Todd Anthony
Todd Anthony
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

When Van Wilder sticks to its wits, its comedy is unstoppable. But...there's an equal (amount) of acute unoriginality and beyond-belief bad taste.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
04/04/02
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

The persons who keep attempting to make the National Lampoon movies funny seem to be confused about the difference between gross-out comedy and inventive gross-out comedy.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
04/13/02
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

While some of the pranks in National Lampoon's Van Wilder are more extreme than we've seen in There's Something About Mary or the American Pie movies, this film has enough heart to balance it out.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
04/05/02
Angela Carroll
Angela Carroll
San Diego Union-Tribune

Even Vegas Vacation was wise enough to distance itself from the humorists responsible for such comedy landmarks as Loaded Weapon 1, Senior Trip and Golf Punks.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/04/02
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com

This a movie wherein Tara Reid plays the 'smart girl' -- that alone has got to be worth the price of a ticket.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
04/05/02
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine

An uneven mix of National Lampoon-style high jinks (yes, it feels slightly dated) and Farrelly-brothers touches tossed in for gross measure.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
08/09/02
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

Full of gross-out humor that is definitely disgusting but not at all that humorous.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
04/09/02
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

The only thing keeping it from being a complete waste of time is the charismatic performance of Mr. Reynolds.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
04/04/02
Gary Dowell
Gary Dowell
Dallas Morning News
 
 
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Latest News for National Lampoon's Van Wilder

March 08, 2007: Yep, "Wild Hogs 2"
According to a pair of sources, director Walt Becker is all hot to get his "Wild Hogs" cast members back for a quick sequel. More...

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This week at the movies, we've got a new take on the first Noel ("The Nativity Story," starring Keisha Castle-Hughes), endangered Americans in Brazil... More...

November 30, 2006: Box Office Guru Preview: "Nativity" Leads Trio of New Releases
The post-turkey blues will kick in as the North American box office should slump this weekend following a busy Thanksgiving holiday frame. More...

May 30, 2006: TV Staple Paul Gleason Succumbs to Lung Cancer
Paul Gleason, who frequently played figures of authority in his four decades-long television and film career, died Saturday from a form of lung cancer linked to asbestos... More...

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