Customer Reviews

School for Scoundrels (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This movie had its funny moments, although Jon Heder was always better as Napoleon Dynamite than any of these other roles he plays. The concept behind having a "school" that is supposed to teach confidence but really conveys sinister ways in order to reach that confidence was good. I do not recommend the unrated version though. The only reason it is unrated is because Billy Bob says G## D##### about a million times. After a while the curse words get to the point where they are weakening the film and not strengthening it. Then again its just B grade comedy, despite having Ben Stiller in the mix. Okay to rent but definitely little substance to make it part of your collection.

I had high hopes for SFS, and the early previews ("trailers") I saw were so promising. Jon Heder? Billy Bob Thornton? What could go wrong? As it turned out...quite a bit. I read a review which mentioned that Jacinda Barrett is too bland to be a leading lady, and I wholeheartedly agree. I would NOT recommend this. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments, but they were very few and far between and didn't make up for what happened (or didn't happen) in the interim. All in all, it was a waste of time. One of the few redeeming qualities was the soundtrack, but that didn't make up for that two hours of my life spent watching this.

I had high hopes for School for Scoundrels, and that may have added to my eventual disappointment in the film. I should have set my expectations lower but both Thornton and Heder are capable of delivering the laughs - just not in this movie.

The movie's plot, while basic, should have been funny. Heder is a loser with no courage and a panicky/fainting personality. He is sent by a friend who boasts that he's seeing "two Asian girls at the same time" to Thornton (Dr. P.) who teaches a rough class that supposedly stiffens spines and will make its students over into lions for $5000. This revolves around hurting the students, yelling at them (and in the case of Lesher, even raping them). Yup, Michael Clark Duncan (who plays Thornton's assistant) starts out as his usual no-nonsense gruff self and then becomes something more creepy and ugly as the movie winds down. Was the image of Duncan raping these losers supposed to add humor to the story?

Anyway, as we all know from the previews Heder finds the lion within (Thornton's tutelage notwithstanding) and a new competitive side of Thornton emerges. Not to be upstaged by Heder he moves in on Heder's girl (Jacinda Barrett). The movie has been slow up till now, the laughs mild and sparse, but things look like they'll be picking up finally. Heder and Thornton spar for Barrett's attention and give us some genuine laughs, but as soon as it gets going it falls into the realm of the implausible and not-so-very-funny. When Barrett's apartment is broken into and vandalized (supposedly by Heder) there isn't much to laugh at anymore - except maybe that the movie expects us to believe that she can't see through what is happening around her. In fact the scenarios become so ludicrous and ugly that you may be shaking your head in disgust, but not laughing. And Heder's girl? Well, she starts to look less and less like a prize worth fighting for as the movie progresses. All the while you have to listen to Barrett's roommate spout nonsense toward Heder's character because everyone knows that you can't have a comedy without the quirky roommate right? In this case her quirks are more aggravation and annoyance than anything else.

In the end, Ben Stiller shows up with bad hair, bad accent and cats, and with his help Heder is ready to take on Thornton to try and win Barrett's affection, or save Barrett from Thornton, or beat Thornton, or something like that.

Like I said, Thornton and Heder have shown in other movies that they do know how to do comedy, but their performances here are shallow at best. For all the work Thornton had to put into this he could have been reading from que cards the whole time, but that hardly matters his character never breaks free from its mold. Heder is somewhat charming and likeable but spends far too much time being the brooding, loser punching bag. The supporting cast comes and goes but never offers any lasting impression and their inclusion in the film feels like it is by requisite and not the decision of the people in charge for making this movie.

Like the supporting cast, the jokes are just the requisite ones and bring no originality to the film, its like no one is even trying with this one the jokes are so dumb. Dumb humor is fine in a dumb humor movie, but School For Scoundrels isn't content to be a dumb humor movie and takes itself way too serious - and tries to force feed the audience with that crap. No thought and no fun; the movie doesn't have anything to stand on.

You may enjoy the film if you are a fan of Thornton or Heder. But if you are like me you will feel more ripped off than satisfied by School For Scoundrels.

The '06 release of `School for Scoundrels' is a light, entertaining and well-constructed comedy that will delight the viewer more for its clever plot then outright laughs. Billy Bob Thorton and Jon Heder click on the screen as two rivals competing for the same woman (Amanda played by Jacinda Barrett). I haven't enjoyed a one-on-one alpha-male competition storyline as much as I did this one since the '99 film `Pushing Tin' which coincidentally also included Billy Bob as one of its co-stars.

How can you go wrong with the likes of Billy Bob and Jon? When you're in the mood for something light, but not stupid or insulting this is it.

My Rating: 3 ½ Stars

One-Upmanship is back!

If you tolerated ROADTRIP, if you found OLD SCHOOL moderately entertaining then you might consider "SCOUNDRELS." Director Todd Phillips, this time assembles Billy Bob Thornton (of BAD SANTA) and Jon Heder (of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and BENCHWARMERS) for this remake of Robert Hamer's 1960 screen version of Stephen Potter's series of One-Upmanship or Lifemanship books outlining how to win without actually cheating (check them out, written a century ago but still classics).

Heder is Roger NYC meter maid so cowardly he pays the tickets he rights! He can't find it in himself to as out his lovely neighbor Amanda (Jacinda Barrett, of Poseidon). He is refered to enroll in a course converting losers to lions with the ladies, taught by Thornton's Dr. P with the burly assist of Michael Clarke Duncan as Lesher. Other mama's boy misfits enrolled are a "whipped" Horatio Sanz, Matt Walsh and Todd Louiso's obligatory virgin. After Roger proves himself too good a student, Dr. P wants to seduce Amanda to prove he is still in charge, then the One-upmanship begins this-time school is out and student is a master, sortof.

The theme is as classic and as familiar as the books themselves. So are the punchlines. Heder and Thornton (who even takes a shot at ex-Jolie) keep the goofs coming, Ben Stiller adds to the hilarity all too briefly. Overall, sort of mild considering the salsa from Phillips in the past.

This is a god-awful remake of a brilliantly funny British comedy from 1960 of the same name School for Scoundrels starring the hilariously subtle Alastair Simm as the professor. Simm as "Potter" guides his students through the art of "one-upsmanship" by subtly undermining them, making them ill at ease, and feeling inadequate while maintaining the demeanor and guise of being a perfect gentleman at all times. Billy Bob's mean, paint-balling, yelling jackass Bad Santa rehash just doesn't compare . . . Please, check out the original-- don't waste your time on this Dog!!!!!

John Heder is definitely the next Jim Carey. Billy Bob Thornton was superb - as expected. The cast was perfect! This movie was completely hysterical. If you play tennis, competitive or other, you will LOVE the tennis scene. I do not agree with the PG-13 rating, however. I would have considered it to be closer to an R-rating.

School For Scoundrels is one of those rare movies that gives you exactly what you expected and then a little bit more. Light comedy with a solid plot and great comedic timing. Jon Heder and Billy Bob Thornton play surprisingly well off each other, providing a solid backbone for a film that ultimately becomes a competition between two men to become the Alpha male.

With brilliant smaller characters provided by David Cross and Sarah Silverman, School For Scoundrels doesn't back off on the comedy no matter where you turn.

The film does falter a bit at the very end, but there's an alternate ending included on the DVD, and for the first time ever, I'd say the alternate ending actually plays better than the ending that was ultimately chosen. Mainly because the film stays surprisingly realistic (and I mean as realistic as Old School or Road Trip, you know, Todd Phillips realism) until the final few scenes.

If you're looking for a good laugh, and a film that actually follows a smart plot and offers some new jokes and ideas that you haven't seen before, School For Scoundrels is the way to go.

The DVD extras include a gag reel, and a making of featurette that includes sarcasm-laden interviews with Jon Heder, Billy Bob Thornton, Sarah Silverman, and David Cross. There's even a brief clip of Billy Bob Thornton as his character from Sling Blade having a conversation with Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The whole making of featurette is hilarious.

It's a solid 3 1/2 star movie.

Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder work well together in this off-beat comedy. There are lots of recognizable actors sprinkled throughout the movie and I was pleasantly surprised overall (especially after seeing the sub-par Mr. Woodcock).

Love this movie! Have watched it a dozen times or more. Heder and Thornton give great performances, and the underdog wins! I recommend it.