Old School

Old School (2003)
Dreamworks Home Entertainment
Cast: Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn
Extras: Commentary Track, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Spoof, Features
Rating:

I admit it. I did not expect anything from ’Old School’ but another idiotic teenage gross-out comedy that revolves around nothing but hormone-driven teenies salivating over the sex they wish they’d have. Boy, was I wrong…
’Old School’ actually turns out to have more in common with the classic ’Animal House’ than these films. While sex IS a theme in ’Old School,’ it fortunately doesn’t dominate the movie. As a matter of fact, comedy dominates this film. It is the story of three guys in their mid-thirties who just want to break out of their ordinary lives to have the kind of fun they used to have. So, they set up a fraternity and with their rampant parties they quickly turn into the hottest spot on campus. But the local Dean wants to get rid of these lunatics and tries to find ways, to solve this little annoying problem. The rest you will have to see for yourself.

Dreamworks presents ’Old School’ in an anamorphic widescreen transfer on this DVD. The image is very clean and free of blemishes. Colros are vibrant and black levels are rock solid, just as you’d expect from such a new movie. No distracting edge-enhancement is visible and the compression also takes good care of the material.

Coming with a DTS and a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital track, the DVD features a great aural presentation with a wide frequency response and good dynamics. Surround usage is very good and surprisingly aggressive at times, making very good use of the format’s multi-channel capabilities. A commentary track featuring various cast and crew members is also included for entertainment.

You’ll also find a bunch of extras on this disc, including bloopers and deleted scenes. One of Will Ferrell’s ’Inside The Actor’s Studio’ skit is also included as one of the true highlights of the release, as well as a few other goofy, silly features.

I was pleasantly surprised by ’Old School,’ and found a comedy that may not be very imaginative or innovative, but made of solid comedy that will have you laugh out loud on a few occasions.