Accepted

Review by Clint Morris

There is a moment in the new teen-comedy Accepted where a couple of the characters take a jab at the declining state of Chevy Chase films. Like one virgin teasing another on the state of his unpicked cherry, this is a film that really shouldn’t be dishing out such digs. Why? 

Because, for all intents and purposes, the thinly-written farce is a Chevy Chase film – heck, one of the weaker Chevy Chase films. For some reason though, director Steve Pink’s film thinks it's much more, but if it were placed in a line-up with the likes of Fletch Lives, Christmas Vacation or even Funny Farm, trust me, it’d blend right in, and not even the biggest fan of juvenile humour would select it from the bunch.

A bunch of no-hoper kids, all rejected from colleges, decide to start up their own institution. Easier said than done though – now they have to come up with classes, fool the parents and find teachers. When some preps discover the truth about the school, the courts are called upon to judge whether the fake institution should remain open.

A teen comedy in dire need of some smut, language or better music to make it more tolerable, Accepted is a half-cooked comedy that wants to be the next Animal House or American Pie, but will have to settle with being the new Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise. Not a bad thing, if you’re easily pleased, but when there’s so many better teen films to order from the Blockbuster menu these days, it’s an offering that’ll satisfy about as much as an entrée – yep, it leaves you wanting something more, something that will fill you up.

The cast all does an OK enough job – Long is likeable, Lewis Black is quite the scene-stealer and Blake Lively is wonderful eye candy – but the writers let them down. There are just not enough interesting moments, or better still, ridiculously rib tickling gags, to keep them busy. At the end of the day, Accepted falls somewhere between a Pauly Shore movie and an Adam Sandler movie – and depending on how fussy you are, you’ll either laugh your arse off or maybe, manage a smile.

EXTRAS

The DVD - which comes less than four months after the theatrical release (in fact, Aussie audiences didn't even get a chance to see it in cinemas, quickly pulled from the schedule after the poor showings in the US) - includes goofs, deleted scenes and a making-of.

Conclusion: Movie 60% Extras: 50%