National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj

	USA 2006 Director: Mort Nathan Cast: Kal Penn, Holly Davidson, Lauren Cohan, Glen Barry, Tom Davey, Anthony Cozens, Daniel Percival Rating: R Release Date: 1 December 2006 Running Time: 1 hour 38 minutes The Movie Review		NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER: THE RISE of TAJ Storyline: Cast: Ending: Overall:
	Alas!...here comes the sequel. What a shame. In my review before about the first Van Wilder (2002), I hoped that there would never be a sequel of Van Wilder, since after the end credits role, it also the end for the entire story. I really liked Van Wilder, so that's why I said better to end it in its hey day and leave it as a good memory. Van Wilder was released in 2002, and after that National Lampoon has released a-long-list-of 26 movies. I thought that the guys at National Lampoon have really forgotten about Van, until in 2006, a sequel was born. Entitled "Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj", which as a sequel has been successful...successful in ruining Van Wilder's legend. The story now revolves around Taj (Kal Penn). After graduating from Coolidge College, Taj is now heading to London to follow his father's legendary status as the most desired guy in campus in Camford University. (Cambridge and Oxford, I suppose). He's accepted at Fox and Hounds just to be kicked out a few minutes later by Pip and his posse. He's then staying at the Cock 'n Bulls house which Pip calls it "The Barn", with several misfits already staying there. Taj, recalling how Van had turned him into a "man", now tries to do the same to these misfits. With the main agenda of taking down Pip (Daniel Percival) and his snobbish friends. What Taj doesn't expect is Taj immediately has a crush on Pip's attractive girlfriend Charlotte (Lauren Cohan). First stop, it's not a sequel. In its entirety it's a copycat. The entire storyline is connected with the same idea, everything! It's just like the British filmmakers make their own version of Van Wilder, and then of course film it in their country, but it's not! It's from the entire same filmmakers. Every good side of the first Van Wilder is yanked downward a notch. Van Wilder is replaced with Taj Badalandabad. Taj's position in the first movie is now replaced with a group of misfits. Tara Reid's character Gwen is replaced with Charlotte. Gwen's boyfriend Richard is replaced with Pip. Richard's fraternity Delta Iota Kappa (DIK) fraternity is replaced with Fox and Hounds. Van's expulsion is replaced with Taj's expulsion. Ice hockey scene between Van and Gwen is replaced with shooting game between Taj and Charlotte. The infamous but absolutely satisfying payback scene by Gwen is replaced with the ordinary payback by Charlotte. Moreover above all, the hilariously-and-wacky-entertaining jokes are replaced with sooo-ordinary-and-actually-boring ones. Now, I even try to watch Van Wilder The Rise of Taj as a person who has never seen Van Wilder before, and ask myself honestly "Would I actually like this another movie from National Lampoon?" Nope, not really. It's vague and soulless, besides Kal Penn isn't cut out to be the next Van Wilder. He really ought to play in another original movie where he could really be the main respected fully characterized protagonist. Nevertheless of course this comedy movie has also its moments. There are some scenes that could actually make you laugh and the pace of the film is still enjoyable just like the first Van Wilder. And the acting qualities from its leading actors are not bad at all, they're great, but their characters are far from being memorable. That's it people, for fans of Van Wilder, this movie blows...and for those who would like to see it, it's just another entry from National Lampoon that proof that they too could make a mistake. Again. © iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com

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