At the Movies - 'Old School'

The Associated Press

"Old School" is the first film to feature Snoop Dogg and James Carville -- not in the same scene, unfortunately, but hey, there's always room for a sequel!

But it's even more remarkable for what it doesn't feature: mean-spirited gross-out humor.

Sure, things get a little raunchy, as you'd expect from a movie about three guys in their 30s who form a fraternity. There's KY Jelly wrestling to celebrate the birthday of the oldest frat brother, who's turning 89. Frank (Will Ferrell), one of the group's founders, ends up streaking through town after guzzling a series of beer bongs. And Mitch (Luke Wilson), the fraternity's "Godfather," achieves that status only after coming home early one day and finding his girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) involved in a kinky threesome.

But "Old School" is smarter than the average college comedy, with a talented, likable cast. It's quick and light on its feet, and it doesn't beat the same stupid jokes into the ground. It's almost kinda ... sweet.

Longtime buddies Mitch, Frank and Beanie (a fast-talking, scene-stealing Vince Vaughn) find themselves at a crossroads about a decade after graduating from college. Mitch has just broken up with his girlfriend and is unhappy with his job. Frank is a newlywed but his marriage is already on the rocks. And Beanie is married with two kids (Leah Remini from television's "The King of Queens" plays his wife) and a successful chain of stereo equipment stores, but he's bored.

When Mitch moves into a house on their old college campus, Frank and Beanie immediately take over in a desperate attempt to cling to their youth and freedom. After only their first raging kegger -- where Snoop Dogg takes the stage and gets his rap on for hundreds of hammered students -- uptight Dean Pritchard (Jeremy Piven) tries to kick them out of the house and use the place for college purposes.

Beanie finds a loophole and comes up with an idea to form a fraternity, Lambda Epsilon Omega, in order to stay on campus -- and half the pledges are just random guys from the neighborhood who have nothing to do with the college, but are willing to drop and do 20 push-ups on command.

Sound a little like "Animal House"? "Old School" has a similar party vibe, and Ivan Reitman, who co-produced that 1978 classic, is one of the executive producers here. Pritchard, a younger version of "Animal House's" Dean Wormer, puts the members of Lambda Epsilon Omega through a series of impossible physical and academic tests in hopes of getting rid of them.

But the "Animal House" brothers were at least cool. "Old School" is more kindred in spirit to "Revenge of the Nerds" from 1984, with its motley assortment of castoffs and misfits. They're young and old, fat and skinny, black and white, but they stick by each other no matter what. It's goofy and funny, yet practically heartwarming.

Director Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Court Crandall and Scot Armstrong, is far more successful than he was with 2000's "Road Trip" in striking a madcap tone that never climbs too far over the top. And he conveys all too clearly the phenomenon that after the party's over, all that's left is the head-pounding, cotton-mouthed reality that in your 30s, your body simply cannot take such abuse anymore.

"Old School," a DreamWorks Pictures release, is rated R for some strong sexual content, nudity and language. Running time: 91 minutes.

Three stars out of four.