Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Paramount Home Entertainment – 91 mins – 2003 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 1.85: 1 – TrueHD 5.1 Audio Mix

Old School is a comedy that gets right to the point of letting you know what it’s all about, a bunch of thirty-something year old men who wished they could be the young fun guys they once were. Old School is now available on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Video, but does this comedy hold up, or has it aged quickly?

THE MOVIE

Old School centers around three friends who have been forced to grow up, whether they like it or not. Will Ferrell plays a guy who is getting married, but still likes to party like he used to. Vince Vaughn is already married with kids, but lives in misery. Luke Wilson is the guy who has just broke up with his girlfriend after learning his girlfriend is addicted to swinging and orgies, and is looking to find someone to fill the love void in his life.

When Wilson buys a house, his two buddies turn it onto a party haven to live out their old days. But their partying is threatened when a university official played by Jeremy Piven from Entourage, attempts to take the property from them because it’s apart of the university. So what do the guys do? They turn the house into an educational facility/frat house to legally keep the place. In the tradition of all T&A comedies, what ensues is wild series of sexual hijinx, where in the end the boys have learned how to finally act their age.

Directed by Todd Philips, Old School does have some funny moments, buy its Will Ferrell’s showcase, who will do everything including running through the streets naked to get a laugh. The problem with the film is that the story is not strong, rolling into just a series of skits as it attempts to be the next Animal House.

This unrated version includes a few naughty moments that left out of the theatrical cut, but it doesn’t really make much of a difference unless you just want to see more boobs. Six years later Old School feels stale, because we’ve seen better comedies since, such as The 40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad, which are better crafted and will hold up better with age. If you liked Old School, then you’re going to add this Blu-ray to your collection. For all others it may be worth a look, just don’t expect much.

VIDEO

With a full 1080p image in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Old School looks fine and the transfer is well done. Colors look solid and skin tones look natural, but the night scenes have markings of grain. Overall it looks better than the original DVD, so if you want an upgrade, you’ll be satisfied.

AUDIO

The audio mix is simple but does the job, offering a TrueHD 5.1 mix that delivers crisps dialogue. Music plays a big part in the movie, because of all the party scenes that includes a cameo from Snoop Dog. Even though this is not exactly the film you’d want to crank up the speakers for, it sounds good.

EXTRAS

The bonus features are carried over from the standard DVD, so no HD material is offered.

Director Todd Phillips and the film’s stars Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson sit down for an audio commentary. You won’t gain anything from this, but there are some funny moments.

Old School Orientation is a basic fifteen-minute behind the scenes look at the making of the film with clips and interviews.

Inside The Actor’s Spoof has Ferrell doing his hilarious impression of James Lipton’s show, interviewing the film’s stars.

Eight deleted scenes are included as well as a bloopers reel, which should offer a chuckle or two.

BOTTOM LINE

Old School isn’t trying to offer a message about society, it’s just trying to make you laugh, and in certain scenes it does just that. This Blu-ray comes with a solid transfer and good sound mix, so fans will appreciate the upgrade. Newcomers should give it a rent to see if it’s their thing.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.0