American Campus

... you might actually kinda enjoy this. Not that it is any good compared to many other "raunchy" teen comedies (some of the best lately being the first American Pie movies), but if you stop comparing this to other movies (like Superbad, another great comedy, that cannot be touched by this movie), this won't be a complete waste of time. The characters are cliché, but while mostly bland, the actors still try their best and almost achieve to give them some edges.

There are many flaws (if I start to think about them, it'll loose a point or two), but in the end, this movie delivered, what you could expect it to do. So while my rating is low, if you happen to have low expectations too, they will be met, by this. Of course the fecal and urine jokes are not really the best side of this, but it's up to you to decide, if you wanna go down "that road".

Some story lines are being left in the dark, others are underplayed (or dealt with wrongly, the girlfriend storyline), but the three main girl characters have a sweetness to them, that is kinda fun. I guess I liked seeing them try ...

Oh thats right, I have.

Lets see. Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds, Van Wilder, American Pie, Beta House, Accepted... ETC. ETC. ETC.

Whats the difference between those movies and "College?" The others managed to come up with more creative titles. Oh, and "Animal House" had John Belushi.

Seriously, if you've seen any of the above movies, then you've seen "College." The original ideas in "College" are so few and far between that you'll have to wonder if the creators of "College" actually bothered to write a script, or rather spun a wheel of clichés and inserted them in the appropriate spots. "College" once again tries to tell you what life on a University campus is 'supposed' to be like, and fails pretty horribly. You begin to wonder if the 'College' students in "College" are actually paying attendants of Fieldmont University (F.U! Get it? hah...no.) or they just happen to squat in the decrepit house near the campus. Apparently they don't attend classes, don't even OWN textbooks, and believe a GPA is a "Great Party Area" rated on a 0-4 scale.

Long story short, "College," while it claims it has something different than those other "College" films, is NOTHING you haven't seen done much better before. I hope it drowns out in its own filth and causes several film companies to go bankrupt, thus ensuring they'll never spit out cookie cutter crud like this.

Drake Bell and Co. deserve MUCH, MUCH better. They do well, but given a better script I would have been more impressed. I'd give it a 1 1/2 just because of their performances, but it won't let me so hey, their loss.

PLEASE, avoid it. You'll thank me later. And tell your friends to avoid it. Thats the only way to stop the cancerous spread

This movie is pathetic. Awful. Just awful. Really bloody awful. The jokes -- if there even are any, it's hard to tell -- are painfully unfunny. They all fall flat. They are also all of the "poop", "fart" and "getting laid" variety which we've all seen done to death lately (and done much better) in other movies about us young people. Whoever made this movie should be jailed for the rest of their life just to make sure they can't possibly even accidentally wander onto a movie set again. That is how awful this movie is. I almost vomited. Somehow this movie gave me some kind of a flu. Everyone involved with this movie should be banned from movie work for the rest of their lives. Horrible acting, horrible writing, a horrible script all the way around. Not funny at all.

Kevin Brewer (Drake Bell) is going with bookish friend Morris Hooper for his scholarship meeting. His girlfriend Gina (Alona Tal) is going to Miami without him. She breaks up with him for being a dork. Fletcher tells the guys about a wild college weekend trip. Kevin decides to go partying with Morris and idiot best friend Carter Scott (Andrew Caldwell) at the University. He falls for college girl Kendall (Haley Bennett) and faces frat bully Teague (Nick Zano).

A large part of my dislike hinges on Andrew Caldwell. He is the standard fat loudmouth best friend. The problem is that he overplays the annoying card. He's far too unlikeable. His early interaction with his friends is off-putting. I need to laugh at him. Instead, I'm annoyed with him. Drake Bell is a dud. He's obviously trying grow out of his Nickelodeon TV show which I never saw. I don't blame him for trying but his acting is stiff. I like the endearing dorky third wheel Morris. On the other hand, Kenall is also a dud. Haley Bennett has always struck me as a high maintenance girl. She fits Gina much better and Alona Tal would have been a superior Kendall as a girl next door. This is not a particular special college party romp and the leads lack good charisma.

What you get with 'College' is, a lamely executed farce of a comedy that relies on idiotic humor that not even idiots would find funny. Luckily, the film has more boobs in it than any film of recent memory, and a couple of the female characters are extraordinarily good looking. That means, of course, that if you're either gay or female, you're going to want to kill yourself from boredom.

A simplistic plot for a simplistic movie doesn't allow for a lot of surprises, though the film's ending does get points for departing from the formulaic 'boy has epiphany and gets girl' ending, and adding a little more to it. Our three leads are tolerable at best. 'College' boasts a mostly unknown cast, with the only 'names' in the film being Drake Bell, Kevin Covais, and Verne Troyer. Andrew Caldwell's performance as a wannabe partier is basically a teenage version of Chris Farley's entire career. Except this one doesn't have the laughs. Bell is alright, but fails to gain the audience's attention as the leading man so many tween fans already tout him as. Kevin 'Chicken Little' Covais has a few funny moments, especially whenever he's acting drunk, but adds little to the film. He's a MUCH better singer than actor, as evidenced by American Idol. Haley Bennett was my favorite part of the film as Bell's love interest. Gary Owen is hilarious as 'Bearcat', the typical crazy frat guy.

'College' has heart, and gets credit for trying, but the execution on the part of the director, casting directors, producers, and to a lesser extent, the screenwriters is what hurts the film. First, I like that Drake Bell is trying to shed his Nickelodeon image, but he was the wrong guy to cast here, mostly because he isn't a big enough name to draw in the people, and what little fans he does have aren't old enough to see this film...there lies the problem. Bell's fans can't see the movie, and I seriously doubt all the people that voted for Covais on American Idol are fond enough to waste their money on this movie. Next, the rating of this film, while very much deserved, hurts the film the most. Had the film been made as a PG-13 film, it might have been just as 'good' in terms of quality, not to mention it would have made more money. Third, all the 'f' bombs and nudity were completely unnecessary, and seem to be there just to secure the R rating. Fourth, having been to college myself, this film is nothing like the real thing. The parties are crazy, but this is too much. It is so unrealistic on every level that it's just astounding. At least Superbad was realistic...in some regards.

'College' is a painful and sad attempt to recreate college life on the big screen. If you want something more realistic, try 'Fifty Pills'. Or just take fifty pills of something. Bell is seriously miscast, and Deb Hagan's direction, along with her producers' bad choices, drag down what could have been a mildly entertaining and mildly successful Superbad ripoff.