Van Wilder: Party Liaison

Three stars. Solid and enjoyable.

Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) is the big man around campus. The girls want to date him, and the guys want to be him. He's been there for seven years, and he has no intention of ever leaving--until his father stops his tuition payments. Faced with the prospect of being kicked out of the comfortable home he has made for himself, Van turns himself into a party organiser, charging money for arranging good times.

As seems to be the requirement for comedies of this type, there is a love story driving the plot forward. Gwen Pearson (Tara Reid) is the campus reporter trying to write a story on the enigmatic Wilder. In doing so, the two get close, hit it off, yada yada, and Gwen has to decide between Van and her rich frat boy boyfriend. I can't say that this apect of the film worked for me. Tara Reid is a pretty face, but she has all the charisma of a blob of silly putty. Ryan Reynolds has enough charm and grin potential to make up for a lot, but he still can't pull the film up much beyond average. Funny, but forgettable.