Todd Phillips, the director of the immensely successful films like Joker and The Hangover series, has had his fair share of hits and misses in Hollywood. One such misfire is the 2006 comedy School for Scoundrels, a somewhat loose remake of the 1960 British comedy based on Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship series of books.
Set in modern-day America, the protagonist, Roger Weddel, played by Jonathan Heder, is an introverted meter reader who falls head over heels for his beautiful foreign exchange student neighbour, Amanda (played by Jacinda Barrett). Lacking the confidence to approach her, he enrolls in a $5,000 course led by life coach Dr. P (played by Billy Bob Thornton), whose unorthodox methods include bullying and insulting his students. Roger is willing to endure these tactics in hopes of gaining the confidence he needs to win Amanda's heart. However, just as things start looking up, Dr. P decides to steal her away from him, infuriating Roger and prompting him to use all the tricks he has learned from the course to prevent it.
Despite its unoriginal premise, School for Scoundrels begins relatively well, with Billy Bob Thornton relishing his role as the cynical, foul-mouthed villain, and Jonathan Heder providing a sharp contrast as the ordinary man who is Dr. P's polar opposite. Unfortunately, by the halfway point of the film, School for Scoundrels loses much of its steam, mirroring the formulaic, predictable nature of other Hollywood comedies like Anger Management, which was released years earlier with better cast and better script. In an attempt to salvage the film, Phillips introduces a character played by Ben Stiller as Dr. P's former pupil, but this only further emphasizes the film's cookie-cutter approach.
For those starved for comedy, School for Scoundrels may provide some mild entertainment. But for most audiences, it's a clichéd, unoriginal mess that squanders its potential. The talented cast is wasted on a formulaic, unfocused script that never manages to be either romantic or funny. While Phillips has proven himself a capable director in the past, this film is a misfire that will likely be forgotten among his filmography.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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