Fancy recapturing your student days but without the distraction of education?

Sounds like an idea for a movie. Hey, what about resurrecting Animal House, National Lampoon's finest celluloid moment thanks largely to the unforgettable John Belushi?

And that's exactly what the makers of Road Trip decided to do for their follow up. Sadly though, Old School falls miserably short and ends up more like the eminently forgettable Class Reunion.

Having discovered his wife is a group sex addict, Mitch (Luke Wilson) rents a house on a college campus that is immediately identified as Party Central by his old buddies Beanie (Vince Vaughn), who's married with a couple of kids, and Frank (Will Ferrell), recently married but in deep do-do because he can't quite settle into the role.

Consequently the three form a college fraternity - uniquely American, quasi-Masonic societies dedicated to stupid behaviour, kind of Jackass Phd - and clash with the school's crypto-fascist Dean.

Parties follow parties follow parties. The clash between 30-something responsibilities and the pursuit of puerility produces a couple of smiles. Oh, and in grand Porkies tradition, there are a few ladies with their tops off.

And that's about it really.

The boundaries of taste are never even on the horizon as the whole thing is played very safe.

Performance-wise, Wilson is dependably ordinary, Vaughn does his best as to wring all the acid out of Beanie's most acerbic lines and Ferrell plays the streaking buffoon Frank with some style. Tragically though, Juliette Lewis is inexplicably under-used in a minor role that screamed with potential.

Old School may fill a few blurry moments after a night at the pub, but it lacks the wit and charm to really stick in the mind.

Starring: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo, Juliette Lewis

Updated: 09:32 Friday, May 09, 2003