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Van Wilder: Freshman Year
Van
Wilder: Party Liaison was the 2002 hit with several infamous scenes
and a solid place in the gross-out pantheon. Seven years later, the idea
of make a prequel called Freshman Year came about. In between,
there was 2006’s Rise of Taj, which I and perhaps many others
failed to notice.
In the
first of the trilogy, Wilder was the well-established senior ‘college’
debauchee in charge of not only making parties happen, but making them
cool. The current film is a vague attempt at giving the
background story, the genesis of the party boy.
Wilder
is this time played by Jonathan Bennett, who is photogenic and sculpted
but lacks any engaging or convincing on-screen presence. They may as
well have rolled a mannequin around. It is the tale of standing up to
authority for what you believe in: parties, tits and booty, yet still
being academically brilliant (somehow).
It’s a
dire situation indeed when I have to tell you the best aspect of the
disc is the extras, which include full-length commentary with the
director (Harvey Glazer) and key cast; a making of; a special on the
infamous dog Colossus; and a special on the Coolidge College campus.
This
is painful, dull viewing for anyone who has moved past the excitement
and aura of watching MA15+ or R18+ movies for the first time. I sat down
with two mates and we sure got to do a lot of catching up and still
follow the so-called story. Yes, there’s eye candy, I suppose… I dunno,
maybe I need to be more drunk, dude?
Felix
Staica
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