National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002) User Reviews

Brainless, Makes 'American Pie' Looks Like an Art Movie But Also Very Hilarious. I Do not Recall the Last Time I Laughed This Way

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 30 November 2004]

Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) is a very popular student, who organizes big parties and raises funds for the most different causes in his college. After spending seven years in the college without graduation, his father Vance Wilder Sr. (Tim Matheson) decides to stop paying his tuition. He applies for a loan to continue in the college, and becomes a professional promoter of parties to pay the installments. Meanwhile, Gwen Pearson (Tara Reid), a student of journalism who writes for the college newspaper and is the girlfriend of an ambitious and brilliant student of medicine Richard, is assigned to write about Van Wilder. Her boyfriend becomes jealous and begins a personal fight against Van Wilder. In the end, of course Van Wilder and Gwen Pearson stay together. This movie is brainless, making 'American Pie' looks like an art movie… but it is also very hilarious. Yesterday I laughed a lot and repeated many scenes, such as when Van Wilder applies for a loan; or with the strip dancer farting in the nightclub; or preparing the sandwiches for the fraternity of Richard; or when Gwen prepares a milk shake with colon-blow for Richard; or the examination of Richard for the medicine university. I agree that the jokes are scatological and of very low level, but I do not recall the last movie I laughed the way I did with 'Van Wilder'. Stop thinking and prepare to have 90 minutes of very funny situations. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): 'O Dono da Festa' ('The Owner of the Party')

A definite good time!

[JanetDenise · 7/10 · 9 April 2002]

Van Wilder is hilarious! It has it's predictable moments, for example the part where the protagonist questions his being and the ending, but it's also unpredictable...and pretty disgusting. My laughter carried on from one scene to the next and it continued to the end of the film.

Ryan Renolds is great as Van. He has good timing as a comedian but also has a "sensitive and caring" side. He truly carries this entire film singlehandedly. (Personally, I thought Tara Reid lacked.) I hope I'll see more of him in films to come, he's an enjoyable actor.

Not a blockbuster movie, but very worth your time.

National Lampoon's Van Wilder is an aggressively funny movie,unashamed by its bad taste.

[chrisbrown6453 · 7/10 · 24 June 2002]

What this movie has and other movies lack are characters you admire and care about. The movie never succumbs to sentimentality, thankfully, and it keeps a high level of cheerfulness and humor through the entire running time. This is a movie that wants to party and have fun, where characters are in high spirits and at times a little inebriated. This is the movie that will put the National Lampoon franchise back into respectability. Not only is this movie gut-bustingly funny – if you can get past the crude visual puns like a pit-bull with what looks like a ten-pound scrotum attachment, and a crotch-enhancer pump that is mistaken for a bong – this transcendent comedy of gross manners is most affecting because it's incredibly well-made. Most college campus comedies are cheap in production value and clumsily structured. Van Wilder is exceedingly well-paced and smartly written, by writers Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner (their love for Ferris Bueller is apparent) who know how to set up not only a joke but sequences of offhand slapstick that are irrepressibly absurd. Director Walter Becker (creator of the ingenious short-film Saving Ryan's Privates) handles the irreverent and random acts of background physical comedy with ease and panache.

The campus wild man is fittingly known as Van Wilder (played by Ryan Reynolds). Van Wilder is a guy that has friends from everywhere, from the jocks to the nerds. Reynolds finds a precarious balance between recklessness and cheerful insanity, which is crucial because he turns acts of humanitarian philanthropy into casual and spontaneous gestures without giving second thought. No job is ever too big for the man, whether it is becoming the de-facto basketball coach that inspires the school's team to win or setting up a rockin' party for the geekiest fraternity on campus. Van Wilder has enthusiastic support from everyone but his burned-out workaholic father (played by Tim Matheson, once the wild man in National Lampoon's Animal House) who decides after seven years of his son's enrollment to stop tuition payment.

Van Wilder becomes the subject of a school newspaper editorial and Tara Reid plays the snobby, uptight reporter Gwen whose ties belong to frat boy Richard Bagg (Daniel Cosgrove), who conducts hazing rituals that are crueler than anything since Animal House. When Gwen tries to get the naked truth from Van Wilder, she mostly just finds Van Wilder naked. But it's the smart rapport that develops between them that allows Van Wilder to strip Gwen's inhibitions, to let her walk on the wild side. In the background, a turf war erupts between Van Wilder and Richard.

The plotting is shameless in its methods of revenge. There are innocent people involved in the mayhem, including a scene where pre-pubescent boys raid one of Van Wilder's parties and end up barfing out of a school bus (but hey, these young boys had the time of their life until then). Richard's fraternity brothers are sent a basket full of éclairs stuffed with juices from a particular dormitory pet. In a knock-off homage to Dumb and Dumber, a character digests a bottle of colon blow right before he is to take a final exam.

The movie rarely takes a breath. It does settle for easy chuckles but goes for the comic gold, pushing past the ribbon of where comedy usually wears out in exhaust. Not every joke works, but you admire the efforts that the filmmakers went to in order to make you laugh. A virgin's first encounter with a girl that culminates in a massage oil rubdown gets more than messy and squanders too much, thus not earning any laughs. A scene where Van Wilder has to charm a raggedy and prunish administrator gets frighteningly explicit and goes on maybe one shot too many. But Van Wilder is always the man of the moment. One of the dorky characters goes to Van Wilder to ask him how to `muff dive.' Ultimately, Van Wilder is king and his rebel-bent philosophy is trippingly funny. At the end, you won't be able to remember all the funny scenes because there are just too many of them.

I will never eat a creamstick again!

[BuffySoprano · 2 August 2004]

I am not a fan of gross out humor, but there was something about this movie that cracked me up. I absolutely LOVE Ryan Reynolds. I think he is a gifted comedian, and this was a great forum for him to get himself "out there."

I thought the dog jokes were extremely gross, especially the eclair scene, and I will NEVER be able to eat another one again! (Also, custard now makes me gag. :))

I enjoyed Taj, and thought the actor did a great job with that role. I imagine it was difficult to do with a straight face.

The one thing I did not like about the movie was TARA REID. How in God's green earth did this girl EVER get into movies. The ONLY thing I have ever liked her in was "Scrubs", and I think it's because she seems truer to that character.

The outtakes at the end are good, so don't turn it off too soon.

hilarious antics

[LetsReviewThat26 · 7/10 · 30 May 2022]

This was a very fun movie that had some laugh out loud moments but also some real heart. Ryan renyolds was a great choice to play van and I always enjoy the way he acts in films. Kal penn and tara reid were equally as great. It had me laughing all the way through and if you love national lampoon and ryan renoylds your sure to love this movie. There are a few gross pieces there and there and adult comedy that ties everything together. Overall just a great comedy movie.

Fun and entertaining - just remember to disengage your brain

[MovieAddict2016 · 6/10 · 30 November 2005]

I generally hate these teen sex comedies and I approached "Van Wilder" with hesitation, but I actually found it to be quite entertaining and humorous (if you're in the right mood, I suppose).

Ryan Reynolds (doing a great Chevy Chase impersonation) is a guy in his late 20s who has been at college for eight years and still doesn't have a graduation in sight. His father, a rich politician (played by Tim Matheson), finally decides to cut off his son's money and as a result, Van has to think of a way to come up with enough cash to stay in school.

Pretty soon Van becomes a party planner and uses his knowledge on partying to throw great ones for nerds. He makes money off of it and his business soon becomes quite lucrative.

If you like National Lampoon humor, you may like this. If you don't, you probably won't. I gave up on National Lampoon a long time ago but this is one of their better efforts in recent years. Don't get me wrong, it's not a great movie; but I found Reynolds (who seems to pick up a lot of flak) to be quite funny and Matheson and other ex-Lampoon star cameos were amusing.

Recommended for those who can enjoy stupid humor. If you liked "Dumb and Dumber," you'll probably enjoy this.

Fun!

[namashi_1 · 7/10 · 12 September 2012]

'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.

Pretty much what you'd expect.

[vithiet · 5/10 · 4 February 2023]

I've heard so much about this movie throughout the years I knew I would have to give it a go someday, and that day was today. Watching this 21 years later, it's exactly what I expected a teen comedy from the early 2000s featuring a young Ryan Reynolds to be. It's not really original, utterly predictable, mostly vulgar with a few actual good jokes sprinkled throughout the tasteless ones. It really is a product of its time though and I have a feeling I would have found it a lot funnier if I had seen it back then. And if so the nostalgia that would come with a re-watch might make it more enjoyable.

A big surprize

[Leafsman_69 · 8/10 · 18 September 2004]

i didn't expect much coming into this movie, i didn't hear much about it and Van wilder was one of the national lampoon movies without Chevy Chase. however this movie surpassed all my expectations. Van Wilder defines the slapstick teen comedy of the new millennium. loaded with sexual humor and innuendo, Van Wilder keep the laughs coming. i believe Tara Reid was at her hottest in this movie, and believe it or not, there are a ton of quotable lines to live by in this film. as for the plot, its just about some guy who doesn't wanna leave the college he calls his home until he meets a girl that makes him realize his own potential. this film was much better then the last 2 American pies put together. this is a true popcorn movie to watch with your friends.

Funny and Heartfelt

[AngelHonesty · 7/10 · 3 February 2020]

Most collage movies are over the top dumb, filled with one constant goal, sex, but this movie isn't like most collage comedies. Yes it has sex, drugs and parties, but it's full of fun humor and heartfelt moments. Ryan Reynolds brings his full charm to the camera as his character tries to figure out life and romance in this charming collage comedy.

I can't believe I sat through this - spoilers

[rustajb · 1/10 · 31 August 2003]

I had the displeasure of watching Van Wilder for the first and last time last night. Oh how it still burns in my head. This poor film suffers from some odd sort of cinematic schizophrenia: sometimes it thinks it wants to be animal house as it's stereotypical "frat-boy-cum-slave-driver" uses unidentified and nameless students as croquet posts and tunnels, and sometimes it wants to be a sentimental love story. This movie feels like a string of barely related pranks and humor that was patch-worked together with something akin to a plot. Our hero, the amiable and misguided but otherwise kind hearted Van Wilder is every college boys wet dream of a self-image: Intelligent but not too intelligent, clever with comebacks, interested in finer things like love and friends and disinterested in having a life revolving around work, living off his fathers bank account, campus celebrity, blah blah blah.... I'm sure you've probably seen this before and it was much better as a high school movie called "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", or was it "Animal House", or maybe this film just tries to lamely take concepts from these better films and update them for a newer audience. Whatever it is it's pure crap.

I've never seen such sick humor outside of a Troma Studios movie. At least with a Troma release you expect lots of feces, vomit, sick humor involving children and a plot as absurd as the premise. But in Van Wilder you get all the vomit, sperm and abuse with a plot they think you might care about. Boy has it good, boy gets told by father that he will not receive more easy money, boy has roaring good time as he crunches many business opportunities to raise money so he can continue with his chosen looserly lifestyle, boy meets overtly-cute pseudo-intelligent girl who wants an interview for the school paper, and wait for the supprise... Boy falls in love with girl who has boyfriend in the snottiest frat on campus. Bet you didn't see that coming. Bet you don't see the friction, pranks and insults that go on between Frat boy and Van Wilder. But then again, I am sure you do.

The shining moments of the movie are only so because they will stay burned in your brain for days afterwards. Take for instance the continual shots of Van's bulldog's obviously fake, over-sized testicles which will fill your screen on occasion. You will get endlessly entertained by swaying testicles, floating hot-tub testicles, Van kissing dog testicles in an early morning supprise. As if the large testicles weren't enough we get one of the most disturbing scenes in movie history when Van plots revenge against his rival, the boyfriend of the main love interest of course, by removing the cream filling of eclairs using gynecological instruments only to be refilled by having his friend masturbate the dog to create a new and exciting filling. But wait! There's more! Once the many eclairs are full and the dogs testicles are now down to a normal, smaller pair, they are placed casually and suspiciously outside the snotty frat-house. Oh the horror as for quite a while we are treated to many frat boys voraciously enjoying every gooey, warm, drippy, clear drop of the dog sperm from the eclair as they make obvious comments like "Wow, they're still warm" and "I think I have had these before". Trust me, much time is dedicated to this scene and.... Damn. I used to love eclairs.

There is a lot of really easy and simple humor in this movie. Let's have an Indian student talk about dirty sex as it will be funny just for that accent. Or maybe we can get elementary school kids drunk and have them projectile vomit. Let's have strippers who fart smoke, that's cool.?? This movie has none of the charm of Beavis and Butthead, none of the stylistic unapologetic crassness of a Troma Film, And the plot is soooooo predictable and merely a rehash of almost every bad college film in history. It's the same plot as One Crazy Summer but not even close to funny and that film used Curtis Armstrong in a way that we all laughed at. In this film he has been degraded to a momentary laugh and no character at all. No body in this film gets fleshed out, the only thing remote to character development is the exchange student gets laid and Van Wilder comes to understand why he hasn't left college in 7 years and trust me that part is about as deep as a dog-bowl.

I wish I had something nice to say about this movie. Even Showgirls is enjoyable for it's embarrassing attempt at seriousness, but this piece of work has no redeeming qualities. The only truly funny moment is as the credits roll and we see some of the behind the scenes pranks with several characters playing up homosexual elements that were only hinted at in the film. I'm sorry but I can't even recommend this film. Avoid it all costs.

One hilarious movie

[kidhasaces · 10/10 · 28 February 2004]

This was one heck of an hilarious movie. I can watch it over and over. Reynolds did a spectacular job in the movie, but I must say that without the character Taj the movie wouldn't have been as funny.

This is more of a guy comedy type movie but my gf loved it also.

The donuts scene I must say was a little gross but still the movie was amazing. Laughed from start to finish..... This is the kind of guy everyone would like to be or know in College.

I don't think they could of taken anyone else then Reynolds to do this role maybe I m just saying that because he is one of my favorite actors but he did do a great job. 9/10

I don't know why but I still liked it

[johnrock · 7/10 · 12 February 2004]

My girlfriend borrowed this one - I usually go for the action/horror/sci-fi stuff. So I prepared myself for one of those terribly boring college comedies with poorly developed characters, boring jokes, no story, and at least some pretty college kids. Which was exactly what I got. Still, for some reason I found this film rather entertaining. Maybe because of the message it delivers - gives you a good excuse to be more like Van Wilder and less like that guy from the DIK fraternity.

Worst movie of the century!

[bfleury · 1/10 · 14 April 2002]

This is without a doubt, the worst movie I have ever seen. The main character, chosen no doubt for his uncanny resemblance to a young Chevy Chase, is funny but the plot simply does not exist.

The gags (when they're there) are trite, hackneyed, and old as rock. This movie will even die in videoland.

In my 47 years of life, I have seen a lot of movies. I have walked out on better movies than this. I did leave 10 minutes before the end because after I visited the bathroom I just wanted to get back into my car and go home.

Not a good movie!

Don't expect too much

[Filmfan-31 · 7 April 2002]

This is yet another movie trying to capitalize off the gross-out factor among young adolescent males. The only thing that really surprised me about this movie is Ryan Renolds ability to carry a movie by himself, as Tara Reid has proven herself once again to be a terrible actress. There is maybe one or two really funny parts in this movie, the rest just comes off as immature sexual jokes. Overall, the good parts don't outweigh the bad, and I wouldn't give it more than three or four stars. Wait for it to come out on rental, which shouldn't be too long.

Van Wilder, a film so annoying and over the top at times that I can't help but admire it.

[mrgray83 · 7/10 · 12 February 2005]

I will be the first to admit that I do not like the direction that National Lampoon's has gone over the years. The Chevy Chase years are long gone, and those were my favorites. Van Wilder is beyond my description. Some of the humor is over the top and would make Tom Green proud. An example of this would be the 'filling' in the desserts that are sent to the snobby frat boys. If you've seen the film, or at least the unrated version, then you know what I'm talking about. If not, you should see it, because I try my best not to include spoilers in my comments. The story basically follows a college student named Van Wilder, whose father is paying for his school. They evidently have such a poor relationship that the father doesn't realize that Wilder hasn't graduated yet. So upon learning that his son has been in school 7 years with nothing to show for it, he stops payment of his schooling. From that point on, Wilder develops various schemes in order to pay for his tuition. This is where the story actually begins. Along the way, Van meets a reporter played by the attractive Tara Reid, who is actually alright in these types of roles, but nothing to jump up and down about acting wise. I would recommend this film, but not highly. The Chevy Chase years were way better. I will repeat, this film is quite over the top with the gross out and shock humor. But the overall message, which is something of a look at the deeper part of the human condition, was actually pretty good.

7/10

Gets a passing grade

[Fluke_Skywalker · 6/10 · 28 May 2015]

'Van Wilder' certainly doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel, sticking beat for beat with your standard college/slacker comedy, but like its star, Ryan Reynolds, it's an amiable enough flick that gets by more on its likability, fast pace and fun atmosphere than an abundance of laugh out loud gags.

The aforementioned Reynolds is backed up by an equally likable, if perhaps culturally stereotypical, performance from Kal Penn. Together they make a solid comedic Batman and Robin. The rest of the cast fill in nicely around them, with only the talent-challenged Tara Reid seemingly out of her depth. Scary when you think about just how shallow 'Van Wilder' is.

Good College Comedy

[osubluejacket · 7/10 · 30 March 2002]

My university had an advanced screening of Van Wilder a couple of weeks ago, and I must say that I found it to be up there with the likes of American Pie and Animal House when it comes to gross out, college humor.

Van is a college student who has spent seven years at his school. Upon learning this, Van's father (portrayed by Lampoon alum Tim Matheson) decides to stop paying his tuition, which leads Van to find other ways of earning tuition money.

Tara Reid plays a reporter for his college's newspaper, and with Van being a BMOC, she is assigned to get Van's story for the graduation edition. Van, however, spends most of their time together trying to get a date, much to the dismay of her boyfriend, Richard (played by Daniel Cosgrove), a pre-med student applying to Northwestern.

The most humorous performance, however, goes to Van's assistant Taj (played by Kal Penn). Taj is an international student who volunteers his time to Van in order to learn how to better pick up women.

This is a very typical college humor movie, along the lines of American Pie and Animal House. The gross-out gags were laugh out loud funny, and the movie moved along at a good pace. If you're in the mood for a very good, juvenile comedy, I'd definitely recommend seeing Van Wilder.

7 out of 10 *'s.

has it moments

[williamsmckinley1 · 3/10 · 11 September 2002]

I will say this about National Lampoon's films of late---they are getting funnier--AND maybe someday, the movies they crank out now will be as good as the earlier ones they released. The movie Van Wilder is OKAY, but I'm sure they could have done a bit better in churning up the laughs--everything is too heavily relied on gross humour. The acting needed to be more memorable too. Tara Reid--although looking great--had little acting range--she just seemed to go through the motions of the film. Her character and Ryan Reynolds character had no real chemistry between them and the that made Kal Penn's character steal the majority of the film. Granted we shouldn't laugh at our fellow foreign exchange students, but we also shouldn't be made to pay over $5 for a mediocre film also. If anyone is thinking of purchasing this film---my suggestion is to rent it first. This movie is a "I'm willing to waste a couple of hours of my day" movie.

Hilariously funny!

[wolfybl · 10/10 · 14 April 2004]

This movie is hilariously funny! I've seen it more than 4 times and it gets funnier every time! Ryan Reynolds is hilarious as Van Wilder, the lead role. Being that this is a National Lampoon movie, one would expect it to be funny. It definitely lives up to expectations of the previous National Lampoon movies. The script is ingenious and is extremely well-written. Many parts of the movie are unexpected, which makes it all the more enjoyable. This movie is so much fun to watch over and over again. The part with the dog and the "eclairs" is hilarious in itself. Although this is one of Reynolds' first movies, it is a big hit. Surely, we can look for more hilarious movies like this one in the future.

Just alright.

[ehidle · 7/10 · 7 April 2002]

Van Wilder was just alright. I expected quite a bit more from National Lampoon but considering the other comedies that have come out this year, Van Wilder is easily among the best. It was consistently amusing throughout the movie with two of the most hilarious scenes I have ever watched in my life. I recommend you see Van Wilder if you just need to have a good laugh and you have an extremely sick sense of humor.

Pitiful rehash of "Animal House"

[Bud_Sturguess · 1/10 · 25 January 2003]

The National Lampoon magazine folded during the filming of their "Loaded Weapon 1" movie back in the 90s, and since then they've dished out nothing but weak remakes of earlier classics, and "Van Wilder" proves to be no exception. Ryan Reynolds is typically annoying as the title character who frees his college from studying and the ideal to better oneself and turns it into a party-zone with the help of recycled gags, predictable one-liners, and a slew of bad supporting actors and actresses. You probably liked this better however, when it featured John Belushi and was called "Animal House."

Terribly Tasteless but Hilariously Funny

[dingo865 · 10/10 · 5 December 2005]

This movie is exactly what you expect from the genre: mindless fluff with adolescent jokes, nudity, and lots of gross-out stuff. It is, however, unapologetic about it, and invests a lot to carry things to the extreme, which is what gives it its charm. If you cannot take any of the above and find enjoyment in them, don't waste your time with Van Wilder.

If, on the other hand, you like vomit-inducing pranks, beautiful young girls flashing their boobies, and hilarious one-liners galore peppered by a huge dose of stereotypes (but without hatred), you will have one of the most entertaining 2 hours of your life. Every time it plays on TV I find myself watching it again and again. The two leading male actors, Ryan Reynolds and Kal Penn, are exceptional as usual, and Tara Reid, while she offers her customary wooden non-performance, fills out her role enough not to be painful. A surprise find is the actor playing Tara's boyfriend: he plays so well, you will LOVE to hate him.

All I can say is, with college for 20 years behind me, I wish I had a Van Wilder when I was attending school. And the movie even has a message!

A good movie in it's own right, but not typical National Lampoon material.

[lesimparfaits · 7/10 · 7 April 2002]

As the movie started, I was trying to compare it to Animal House. Many of the basics are very similar, and the previews even encourage this analogy. As the movie progressed, however, I realized that American Pie is a much more apt comparison. The movie was a good, solid film, with lots of humorous parts. But when compared on a comedic level to Animal House or Christmas Vacation, it falls well short. Ryan Reynolds is hilarious, and definitely turns a pretty week story line into an entertaining movie. I really did like the movie, it just was not up to the National Lampoon films of past.

Terrible from start to finish

[rkjelden · 1/10 · 6 May 2007]

One of the worst movies I have ever seen, and I have seen many many movies. Very predictable plot with no originality. The plot points seem to come straight from the mind of an uneducated 15 year old with no inkling of comedic dialog or situations. Although the lead actor was supposed to appear as a hero to his fellow students, he never supported that in anyway with his behavior on the screen. I guess we are just supposed to assume that he is 'all that'. I felt sorry for the actors having to say these ridiculous lines. Maybe the young teenage crowd would find this entertaining for the crude humor and flowery language, but anyone over the age of 17 should pass on this one.