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After graduating from Coolidge College, where he was trained by party animal extraordinaire Van Wilder, Taj Mahal Badalandabad (Kal Penn) is ready to set out on his own. Taj heads for England, where he’s enrolled in the graduate program at Camford University (Get it? Cambridge + Oxford = Camford). He can’t wait to move into the prestigious Fox and Hound house, where his dad was a legendary “hound doggy” back in the ‘60s.
When Taj arrives at the Fox and Hound, however, he’s met by Pipp Everett, the Earl of Grey (Daniel Percival), who tells him that there’s been an unfortunate mistake. His acceptance letter has a small typo. It was supposed to say that Taj was not accepted into the Fox and Hound. Instead, he’s been chosen as the resident assistant in a house called The Barn. At The Barn, a run-down house in the middle of nowhere, Taj meets the band of outcasts who live there—the nerd, the mute, the violent Irish kid, and the cockney girl of questionable morals. Though his fellow residents have already given up on fitting in at Camford, Taj is determined to make them the most popular kids on campus.
Despite his father’s legendary reputation as a ladies’ man, Taj is also determined to win the heart of his supervisor, Charlotte Higginson (Lauren Cohan)—though it means stealing her away from her boyfriend, the Earl of Grey.
In the midst of the frantic holiday season, it’s always good to take some time off—to head out to the theater and enjoy a good comedy. This, however, is not a good comedy. Even Ryan Reynolds (who played Van Wilder in the original movie, thereby technically making him the title character) stayed away from this painful sequel. After all, he may be willing to dress up in a fat suit and serenade his chubby reflection with boy band songs (see Just Friends), but he still has a little bit of self-respect left. Poor Kal Penn unfortunately hasn’t had the opportunity to build up that same self-respect—and although he’s a pretty funny guy, he’s clearly not ready to carry a whole film.
Depending on your sense of humor, you may find parts of this movie mildly amusing. If you enjoy cliché stereotypes, overdone and painfully obvious plotlines, bad acting, and/or an endless supply of creative epithets for genitalia and/or sex, you’ll probably enjoy this movie. In fact, you’ll find it absolutely hilarious. But for the rest of you—those who have already seen Revenge of the Nerds, the American Pie movies, and a movie or two mocking snooty English blue bloods—you’ve already seen this movie. Do yourself a favor, and don’t see it again.
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