Movie Review:

School For Scoundrels

by Lynn B

What if Bad Santa tangled with Napoleon Dynamite? In School for Scoundrels it happens… sorta

“Napoleon” aka Jon Heder, plays Roger a New York City Meter Maid who is kind, child-like but so nerdy that even kids without dads don’t want him as a “Big Brother”. Roger gets panic attacks and passes out when he tries to talk to girls he likes. Right now he likes Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), a sweet young woman in his apartment building but he’s afraid to ask her out. A friend sends Roger to self-help, macho building classes taught by the mysterious and scary Dr. P. (Billy Bob Thornton). Fellow classmates are all poster boys for nerd king.

The class is insulted, forced to play a wicked game of paintball and taught how to obnoxiously bring out their “inner lions”. Finally, Roger is ready to ask Amanda out. He actually becomes the top student in the class and Dr. P. just hates top students! He has to bring Roger back down to nerd level again so he starts dating Amanda! Can Roger rally the troops to his team and get his lady love back from the awful, sweet-talking drill sergeant in a fancy suit?

Jon Heder and Billy Bob are perfectly cast as nerd and rude-talking, insulting teacher. In fact, the typecasting is almost tedious. Although Jon is supposed to end up as the leading man/love interest, he is so unforceful that it never quite happens. We buy the nerd but aren’t too sure about his more manly counterpart. Billy Bob is the same evil guy with a twinkle in his eye that we’ve seen too much of lately. But, I can’t imagine anyone else playing the two parts. You do want poor Jon to succeed and get the girl. You aren’t sure whether to like or hate Dr. P. but he’s fun to watch either way. Even a long-haired Ben Stiller pops up as a former top pupil taught and torn apart by Dr. P. and out for revenge once stoked up by Roger.

Although the film’s physical humor isn’t anything new, it’s well executed. The problems come with the last third of the film in which Roger takes off on his own trying to recruit helpers to get his girl back. The movie just drags from there. More Billy Bob vs. Jon scenes would have kept the last 20 minutes of the film more interesting.

Hey, if you are looking for a romantic comedy (emphasis on comedy) and luv either Jon or Billy, go check it out. You could do better but you could do much worse.

 

This movie is rated PG-13

Official Movie Web Site - School For Scoundrels

Pictures courtesy of and copyright Dimension Films, 2006