Van Wilder: Freshman Year - A Prequel's Party Problems
Van Wilder: Freshman Year is a 2009 American sex comedy film directed by Harvey Glazer. As the third installment in the Van Wilder series, it serves as a prequel to the original Van Wilder film. The film was released direct-to-DVD on July 14, 2009, by Paramount Home Entertainment.
Introduction: The Man, The Myth, The Beginning… or Not?
The film attempts to rewind the clock and show us how Van Wilder became the legendary party animal we know and love. However, instead of a seamless transition, Freshman Year presents a disjointed narrative that struggles to recapture the charm of its predecessor.
Plot: A Crusade Against Chastity
Van Wilder (Jonathan Bennett) arrives at Coolidge College, ready to embrace the party-filled college experience he's always dreamed of. Much to his dismay, he discovers that Coolidge College is no longer the party school of legend. Dean Charles Reardon (Kurt Fuller) has transformed the campus into a repressed, super-religious institution, enforcing a strict regime of chastity and banning all vices.
Determined to liberate his school from this oppressive environment and win over the campus hottie, Kaitlin Hays (Kristin Cavallari), Van embarks on an epic crusade. He must navigate the challenges of college life, outsmart the administration, and win the girl of his dreams.
Van makes friends with pothead Farley (Nestor Aaron Absera) and a Chinese exchange student named Yu Dum Fok (Jerry Shea). Together, they decide to challenge the new rules and bring the party back to Coolidge College. Van faces off against Dirk Arnold (Steve Talley), a hothead Lt. in the ROTC program, in a series of humorous and outrageous contests.
Read also: National Lampoon's Van Wilder: A Look Back
As Van attempts to win the heart of Kaitlin Hays, he finds himself falling head over heels for her, an Army brat who just happens to be Dirk’s girlfriend. In the end, Van triumphs over Dirk and wins Kaitlin's heart.
Cast and Characters: A Mismatch with the Original
One of the biggest criticisms of Freshman Year lies in the casting of Jonathan Bennett as Van Wilder. Unlike Ryan Reynolds, who embodied the character with smarmy and smug charm, Bennett's portrayal falls flat.
The film also features a cast of supporting characters, including Van's roommates Farley Marley, Yu Dum Fok, and Dirk Arnold. While some of these actors deliver passable performances, they often resort to overacting. Kristin Cavallari, known for her appearances on Laguna Beach and The Hills, struggles to prove herself as an actress in the role of Kaitlin.
Humor: Jokes That Fall Flat
The humor in Van Wilder: Freshman Year relies heavily on recycled jokes, bodily fluids, excrement, slapstick, and sex gags. Unfortunately, these attempts at humor often fail to elicit laughter, resulting in a relentlessly unfunny experience. The film's juvenile jokes and reliance on nudity feel outdated, reminiscent of a style of comedy that was popular during the American Pie era.
Production Details
Van Wilder: Freshman Year was directed by Harvey Glazer and written by Todd McCullough, based on characters created by Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner. The film was produced by Peter Abrams, Robert L. Levy, and Andrew Panay.
Read also: A Look at Van Wilder's Origins
Release and Reception: A Direct-to-DVD Disaster
Van Wilder: Freshman Year was released directly to DVD and Blu-ray on July 14, 2009, by Paramount Home Entertainment. The home media release features both an unrated and a rated version of the film.
The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and audiences alike. Many criticized its uninspired plot, unfunny humor, and poor casting choices.
Home Media: A Decent Presentation
Despite the film's shortcomings, the DVD presentation of Van Wilder: Freshman Year is surprisingly decent. The image is enhanced for 16X9 televisions and features nicely delineated and bright hues. Blacks are dark and full, while shadows are reasonably smooth. Sharpness is fine, with only minor instances of softness and jaggies. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is perfectly acceptable, delivering clear speech and decent music quality.
Bonus Features: Forgettable and Obnoxious
The DVD includes a variety of bonus features, such as an audio commentary with director Harv Glazer and actors Jonathan Bennett, Kristin Cavallari, Nic Nac, and Steve Talley. However, the commentary is largely forgettable and obnoxious, filled with middle school-quality taunts and very little actual information about the film's creation.
Other featurettes include Creating the Legend: The Making of Van Wilder: Freshman Year, Going Balls Out: Colossus, Coolidge College: Orientation Video, Decatur, Teacher's Pets, Bloopers, Van's Party Supplies, and Pranks 101. While some of these featurettes offer glimpses into the making of the film, they ultimately fail to provide any meaningful insights or entertainment.
Read also: Van Wilder: Freshman Year Streaming Options
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