High School

Have a bong is the main message of this extremely unstructured, but at the same time hilarious movie about how to protest against drug testing in high schools.

Well known faces of todays entertainment world makes this meshwork of teenage comedy work even today, loads of stuff i guess is very spontainously acted, however the script and fixed ideas about high school comedie genre have had some new takes to it, i just wonder why this title hasnt been recopied into todays world, with a better script and story that this.

But the grumpy old man gives a recommend.

Stoner comedies are one of my favourite sub-genres, especially when they are done right, perfect examples being How High, Harold & Kumar, Half Baked... High School cannot be added to this hall of fame, but it sure is a movie that will satisfy your need for laughter and maybe something else. Considering that this is a directorial debut for John Stalberg, it turned out pretty awesome, and without major mistakes. Thing that annoyed me was the typical cast, that was thrown onto us without an ounce of shame. Two guys, one funny and fatty screw up and one sciency-nerdy type become partners in crime, I mean come on. This plot I have seen at least a dozen times, and although it worked here, it is something to be avoided, luckily the rest of the script is pretty good, and it has that original weed vibe (especially if you watch while being high).

High School would be another lame budget weed comedy if not for three actors in supporting roles that colored this movie and gave us, the viewers, something to go back to after a while. Lets start with Adrien Brody AKA Psycho Ed, a guy who started as a shy piano player now is a vicious and psychotic tattooed drug dealer. Michael Chiklis, a bold thug from The Shield, AKA Dr. Leslie Gordon, a by-the-books principal who wants to eliminate drugs from his school. Colin Hanks AKA Brandon Ellis well, there's nothing special about this killer from Dexter, apart that he was that high school kid in Orange County [2002], a movie with a similar subject. We can also see Curtis Armstrong, and if you can't still remember who he is, I have only one word for you: Booger.

As I said earlier meet Henry and Travis, two unlikely friends brought together by the icky sticky - weed. Henry is a really smart kid with perfect grades, and he can't wait to get into Harvard, while Travis has one goal in his life: to get stoned. While Travis is stoned almost all the time, Henry hasn't even tried weed, so after detention he decides it is finally time. As the school principal Dr. Leslie Gordon decides to test all the students for drugs, Travis and Henry must find a way to stop him, and how will they accomplish that is up to you to find out, enjoy...

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Most of the stoner comedy films that come along play pretty stupid and are an acquired taste. The latest High School looks to take the same template but add something a bit unique to it with more story. Is it possible to really be able to make a stoner film that stands out as more than just that or is it just a guise to attract a bigger audience.

High School follows a valedictorian who decides to take his first hit of pot only to find out that they are having random drug testing the same day. To try and nullify the test he teams up with the school's biggest stoner to attempt to get the entire school high. For the most part this is your typical stoner comedy, but thanks to the great cast and new twist with the story it manages to become something more and quite entertaining. Of course the story is highly unbelievable, but if you can set that aside and just have fun with it you are sure to have a great time. The entire cast does a great job, but two standouts come in the form of school faculty with Colin Hanks and Michael Chiklis. Hanks seems to just letting it all out to having a lot of fun not taking himself seriously and delivering some memorable moments. If Hanks is letting it all out, then Chiklis has split open and pours it out on the floor. His delivers a performance out of character that is both hilarious and a bit creepy. The obsessed principal he brings to life would easily become one of the more memorable film characters if this film got a wider release. Every aspect of his performance works and is bothersome on so many levels. The other stand out is Adrian Brody who is always good and seems to enjoy the stranger roles, but here just seems to lose his mind inside the character and become one with this psychotic drug dealer.

This movie is a lot of fun and reminiscent of the comedies of the 80's. Filled with a great cast, over the top story, and an original take on the stoner comedy High School will have you eager to light it up and smoke until the last puff.

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Normally I am not keen on the 'stoner comedies', as I have seen a good share and most of them have been pretty boring, lacking comedy and basically not really been worth watching. But the cast list credited to this movie made me sit down and give it a chance.

And "High School" really surprised me as it turned out to be the best of all the 'stoner comedies' I have ever suffered through.

The story is about Henry (played by Matt Bush) who is a student with great grades and about to makes it to MIT, but in a moment of weakness he tried smoking weed with his childhood friend Travis (played by Sean Marquette). Unfortunately the high school they are attending implements mandatory drug testing for the following day, in lieu of a former spell bee champion from the school making headline news from being high on drugs during the competition. Coming up with a clever plan, the two friends decide to drug the entire school, to make everyone fail the drug tests, and end up stealing drugs from Psycho Ed (played by Adrien Brody). The following day becomes a chaotic race against time, as principal Leslie Gordon (played by Michael Chiklis) is piecing together what is really going on.

I will say that the story was cleverly thought through, and it had some nice moments. Sadly, though, this is not the type of comedy that will have you laughing hard throughout the entire movie. I laughed only a couple of times. But it is the type of comedy that is fun to watch and entertaining.

As for the cast list, the reason why I decided to watch this movie, well I must applaud Adrien Brody for his performance in this movie. He played the role of Psycho Ed so well, and it was a sheer joy to watch him in this movie. But also hats off for Michael Chiklis for his portrayal of the oddly behaving principal. It was very surreal to see these two in a movie like this and have roles like this. But they did a tremendous job, and they really carried the movie.

If you enjoy the 'stoner comedy' genre, then you definitely have to treat yourself to this movie, because it is really great.

And with that, I will leave you with a great quote from principal Leslie Gordon: "If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this footage should be worth a thousand pictures. Which would equal a million... words."

Smoking makes most everything funny, and many will have a go-to selection of movies that pair especially well with pot. It's surprising, then, that movies about weed don't automatically fit into that category. If you've ever been sober in a room full of smokers you know that watching other people get stoned just ain't that funny, and it's even more difficult for a movie to impart a contact high.

Fortunately, High School straddles the divide between "stoner movie" and "movie to watch while stoned", because it's very, very funny. The plot is a lean, generic high school story - Henry (Matt Bush) is the straight-A valedictorian, tempted astray just before graduation by stoner and one-time friend Travis (Sean Marquette) after a chance accident lands them in detention. Henry tries pot for the first time, just as Principal Gordon (Michael Chiklis) is about to call for a school-wide drug test after a spelling bee incident embarrasses his school's good name. Henry and Travis plan to foil the drug test by getting the whole school high on drug savant Psycho Ed's (Adrian Brody) ultra-potent supply.

The setup is goofy but handled lightly and with a relatively straight face, which already distinguishes the movie from pure stoner material like How High or Cheech and Chong. The laughs come early and often, not relying too much on stoner tropes (although they're around if you want 'em) or character mugging, but on good, old-fashioned gags. The pace is a little uneven, perhaps because the script runs very tight around the speedy storyline, but the comedy is not.

Brody is given plenty of space to go wild; by the end his influence on the film is much bigger than his screen time. The same could be said on a lesser scale for Colin Hanks as vice-principal Brandon and Yeardley Smith as a teacher, who do typically fine jobs. Bush and Marquette, the two young leads, hold up their end of the bargain very well.

This is a movie that deserves to find wide distribution. If Pineapple Express, a perfectly entertaining movie in its own way, can find a decent audience, then for this to be left on the shelf is criminal. If you get the chance and you're even remotely curious, see it. Once again: it's very, very funny.