Van Wilder (or - if you prefer - National Lampoon's Van Wilder) is everything
you'd come to expect from a raunchy comedy, meaning that it's "well" RAUNCHY!
It also offers up some pretty big laughs. While it's hardly a laugh a
second, I did found it funnier than the recent Eurotrip and Harold and Kumar
Go to White Castle (yes, Van Wilder opened in 2002, but I just recently
watched it on DVD).

Van Wilder is the title character in the film, a partying underachiever who
would rather play than fulfill his class requirements in an orderly fashion
(think Pauly Shore in Son-In-Law only a lot less annoying). Still, he is the
pride and joy of the campus. Anyone looking for a good time calls Van
Wilder. Anyone looking for a hearty laugh calls Van Wilder. Anyone looking
for the party of the century calls Van Wilder. Anyone looking for the best
chocolate eclairs in the world calls - well, you get the general idea.

Tara Reid is the overachieving journalist who is assigned to do a piece on
Van Wilder for the school paper. She has it all; a promising future, the
perfect boyfriend, and plenty of self confidence. Of course, the moment she
meets Van Wilder she can't stand him, but before long, the attraction is
inevitable.

Van Wilder is crude to be sure, but it's also infectiously likable. It
certainly owes the world to the likes of Animal House (Van Wilder even
offers up a welcome supporting role from Tim Matheson), Back to School, and
the American Pie films, but it does find it's own rhythm, and I have to
admit, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

Ryan Reynolds (who has a full plate of upcoming releases including Blade:
Trinity and The Amityville Horror remake) proves to be quite engaging as the
insouciant consummate smart-ass Van Wilder, although I have to say that he often
reminded me of the underrated Kevin Smith film veteran Jason Lee (in a
strange twist, it's been reported that Reynolds is a front runner for
Smith's long in development Fletch Won - a role that was originally supposed
to go to Lee). While he certainly lends a cockiness to this part, he's also
quite charming.

Tara Reid is a bore as journalist Gwen Pearson. I really don't get what all
the fuss is about when it comes to this actress. I suppose she's attractive,
but I see attractive women every day who are not getting Hollwood handed to them on a plate. She doesn't bring an
ounce of energy to this role. She just sort of coasts through the
proceedings as if she had nothing better to do. Perhaps she didn't.

Van Wilder is disgusting and features the éclair scene to end all éclair
scenes (I don't think I'll eat another one as long as I live), but it's also
pretty funny if you can tolerate excessive bathroom humor. I suppose it's
the likable, harmless nature of the film's lead character that makes the
film watchable. Hell, Van Wilder even learns a thing or two by the end of
the movie, and while his life lessons are labored and obvious, they work in
the context of this goofy, mildly entertaining flick.