Van Wilder wants to be the next iconic gross out teen movie. It has all the necessary ingredients, but it takes those ingredients and mixes in a little bodily fluids and serves it to you uncooked on a soggy paper plate.I don't think this movie delivered one worthy laugh. It has jokes, but they're not funny. It has gross out gags, but they're so gross that they're impossible to enjoy. It has a smarmy leading man who hadn't fully realized his charm. It has a comatose leading lady whose best years were already behind her. And it has supporting characters who are so one dimensional you can't be bothered to pay attention to them. The story tells of an undergrad who can't be bothered to grow up and graduate. He'd rather be the big man on campus. A reporter is sent to write a piece on him, and they eventually hit it off. Her pre-med boyfriend has other plans. Hi-jinks ensue. If this sounds familiar, it's because it is. It does nothing story-wise that hasn't been done before and better. It has a lame final act where Van must get his life together and prove his worth to his school, to his girl, and to his dad.Ryan Reynolds is likable, but he's not quite likable enough to make up for everything around him. Tara Reid, who I'm crushing on at the moment due to recently seeing her in Urban Legend, is bad here. She's unable to emote convincingly in her face or voice and she looks much worse for wear than in her late 90s heyday. This discrepancy makes the central romance fall completely flat when it should have been the movie's heart and highlight.

The most popular kid on campus (Ryan Reynolds) meets a hideously deformed journalist (Tara Reid) who makes him realize that maybe he is afraid to graduate.When I first viewed this movie (circa 2003), I was not terribly impressed and absolutely repulsed by a certain scene that has made it notorious. The scene adds nothing to the film other than to make audiences feel sick to their stomachs.Upon rewatching (2014), there is still an overall crudeness to the film that may not be necessary, and seems to be an unfortunately part of comedy movies made at the time (the "American Pie" series is very similar in tone). But, I must confess, there is a certain sentimentality to it all, and if it were not for that one moment, this might be a fairly decent film. Not great, but decent.Ryan Reynolds may not be the biggest actor out there, but this film put him on the map, and it should be recognized for that, too.

This movie sure has gotten (more than) its share of bad user reviews! So many 1 star reviews, i can hardly believe it. And still it comes out with a 6+ star score. That is in itself very, very interesting.There is much grossness in this movie, that is true. Or to be more precise: there are some scenes that are extremely gross - but not many. There is no doubt in my mind that a lot of viewers will be offended by those scenes, and as a result have their whole experience ruined.The story in the movie is very simple: Van Wilder is still in College, for the 7th year in a row. It's basically just a theme that is elaborated upon.Here is my take on the movie: the elaboration on that theme is hilariously, expertly, joyfully, sympathetically well done. There is subtlety in this movie, if you care to look for it. I loved the characters, especially Van and Taj Mahal. I loved the way the story progressed, and how the dialog was written. But most of all i loved how all the actors gave everything to the movie. There is no holding back, no "this movie is so stupid that I'm not gonna do my best" kind of attitude. It shows that all the actors (yes, ALL the actors) loved every second of it.Too bad that some of the viewers didn't feel the same way, and that is, of course, their loss.

'Van Wilder' isn't meant to be taken too seriously. Its a lively comedy, that delivers good enough laughs to earn itself a viewing. 'Van Wilder' Synopsis: The most popular kid on campus meets a beautiful journalist who makes him realize that maybe he's afraid to graduate.'Van Wilder' has some hilarious moments. The First-Hour is simply terrific, the Second-Hour gets clichéd, but never boring. Brent Goldberg & David T. Wagner's Screenplay is uncomplicated & delivers some truly funny moments. Walt Becker's Direction is perfect. Performance-Wise: Ryan Reynolds is superb as Van Wilder. He plays the bratty protagonist to the fullest. Tara Reid is extremely charming. Kal Penn brings the house down with his flawless comic timing. Daniel Cosgrove delivers sincerely. Tim Matheson is first-rate.On the whole, 'Van Wilder' offers some really good laughs.