DVD Reviews

Accepted

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Blake Lively
• Details: February 12th. Cert: 12A.

DVD Release Date: February 12th. Cert: 12A.

When smart but unfocused high school student Bartleby (Long) is rejected from every college he applies to, he decides to set up his own college to keep his parents off his back. Justin Long is a guy who has more-or-less played back-up to actors with more obvious comedic chops - be it Vince Vaughn in Dodgeball, or Ryan Reynolds in Waiting. His role in films has generally been to carry exposition, and offer the odd quip. In Accepted, he is finally given a chance in a leading role, and manages to be both charming and (relatively) funny, in this hugely uneven, if enjoyable enough comedy. Falling somewhere between Old School and Van Wilder, it doesn't have comedic balls big enough to play in the same sand pit as Old School, but would rival Wilder in terms of a laughs-per-jokes ratio. The biggest problem Accepted has is that lacks a clear structure, in terms of narrative, which would be fine for a comedy of this sort. However, every once in a while (when a sub plot does rear its mush), it feels horribly tacked-on. This is not a problem when you're too busy holding in urine from consistent bouts of hilarity; but when the laughs are sporadic, it's more than noticeable. It also suffers from a lack of a proper villainous character (a la Jeremy Pivens's Cheese in Old School), and the ones it does churn out are stupid cliched characters that are barely given enough time to register. That said, it does have its moments - a lot of them funny ones - and the overall concept is one with solid, if not entirely explored potential. If you're in a (really) stupid mood, open a beer and have a gander, as there are a few laughs to be had; just don't expect to be spitting said alcoholic beverage on the floor with laughter.

Review by Mike Sheridan