I had experienced many emotions whilst watching this film. Here are a few of my thoughts in no particular order: Once in every generation comes a genre defining cinematic epic. I have been privileged to watch 'Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj' while it is still a relatively unknown despite the enormous success of its predecessor.
Firstly, coming from an Asian background myself, I found the difficulties and challenges faced by Taj in a elite British university corresponded almost exactly to my experiences as a undergraduate at an Oxbridge University. Rarely does a film script capture the essence of academia in such prestigious institution. I often look back at my life and remember the numerous fencing competitions I entered and dog shows I attended to gain a respectable reputation from my peers only be thwarted in my attempts by an aristocrat with canine Viagra. Almost biographical, I often wiped the tears away from my face so I could continue watching the movie.
From a purely cinematic perspective, I found few flaws in the film, and at points it reminded me of the majestic direction found only in Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now' and Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. If only the respected film institutions representing and honouring Western cinema appreciated such inspiring and ground-breaking work. I often thought of making my own movie, but after watching 'Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj' I can confidently say I have seen this art at perfection and cannot hope to improve upon it. Hopefully future generations will look upon this classic work of art and recognise it for the masterpiece it really is.
The scarily accurate portrayal of students, the best in their generation, at such an elite institution could only be achieved by actors of the highest calibre working at their hardest thoroughly researching the polymaths they bring to screen. Much of their work previously ignored, hopefully this film will elevate them to greater things and Oscars are surely looming. This film is truly a showcase of talent the industry has to offer.
I look forward to seeing more movies like this one, but deep down I know that this is a once in a lifetime cinematic opportunity standing aside films such as Gone with the Wind and Casablanca.
For some reason I was looking forward to watching Van Wilder 2 : The Rise of Taj, despite the negative feedback and media coverage it received. Perhaps it was a fault of mine, feeling nostalgic about my college days, hoping that this film would re-kindle my undergraduate experiences of watching college classics such as 'American Pie' and 'Road Trip'.
Sadly this film lived up to its reputation. If film making was a crime, then Mort Nathan is a murderer and MGM the people who handed him the pistol. Watching this film was like witnessing the execution of Kal Penn's career, despite his best efforts to exonerate the poor performance of the actors around him. Why "that Asian guy from Van Wilder" decided to undertake a film with a script recycled from its predesessor is beyond reason. This corpse of a movie is best remained buried in an unmarked grave so that no-one will have to endure the feeling that they have not only wasted 97 minutes of their life, but leave the theatre knowing something has died deep within them. It you manage to keep your eyes open to witness the horror of celluloid, then be prepared for the post-traumatic stress disorder you will develop following this film, with flashbacks of badly acted college students with no emotional depth haunting your dreams. If the 97 minutes wasted watching this movie were not enough, the subsequent 97 minutes writing this review as a warning to others may provide me with some sort of satisfaction that some good has come out of me seeing this atrocity.
Like my review, the film is full of contradiction, least of all Van Wilder not actually being in it. My friend and I started punching each other to keep us awake during this film.
Firstly, coming from an Asian background myself, I found the difficulties and challenges faced by Taj in a elite British university corresponded almost exactly to my experiences as a undergraduate at an Oxbridge University. Rarely does a film script capture the essence of academia in such prestigious institution. I often look back at my life and remember the numerous fencing competitions I entered and dog shows I attended to gain a respectable reputation from my peers only be thwarted in my attempts by an aristocrat with canine Viagra. Almost biographical, I often wiped the tears away from my face so I could continue watching the movie.
From a purely cinematic perspective, I found few flaws in the film, and at points it reminded me of the majestic direction found only in Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now' and Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. If only the respected film institutions representing and honouring Western cinema appreciated such inspiring and ground-breaking work. I often thought of making my own movie, but after watching 'Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj' I can confidently say I have seen this art at perfection and cannot hope to improve upon it. Hopefully future generations will look upon this classic work of art and recognise it for the masterpiece it really is.
The scarily accurate portrayal of students, the best in their generation, at such an elite institution could only be achieved by actors of the highest calibre working at their hardest thoroughly researching the polymaths they bring to screen. Much of their work previously ignored, hopefully this film will elevate them to greater things and Oscars are surely looming. This film is truly a showcase of talent the industry has to offer.
I look forward to seeing more movies like this one, but deep down I know that this is a once in a lifetime cinematic opportunity standing aside films such as Gone with the Wind and Casablanca.
For some reason I was looking forward to watching Van Wilder 2 : The Rise of Taj, despite the negative feedback and media coverage it received. Perhaps it was a fault of mine, feeling nostalgic about my college days, hoping that this film would re-kindle my undergraduate experiences of watching college classics such as 'American Pie' and 'Road Trip'.
Sadly this film lived up to its reputation. If film making was a crime, then Mort Nathan is a murderer and MGM the people who handed him the pistol. Watching this film was like witnessing the execution of Kal Penn's career, despite his best efforts to exonerate the poor performance of the actors around him. Why "that Asian guy from Van Wilder" decided to undertake a film with a script recycled from its predesessor is beyond reason. This corpse of a movie is best remained buried in an unmarked grave so that no-one will have to endure the feeling that they have not only wasted 97 minutes of their life, but leave the theatre knowing something has died deep within them. It you manage to keep your eyes open to witness the horror of celluloid, then be prepared for the post-traumatic stress disorder you will develop following this film, with flashbacks of badly acted college students with no emotional depth haunting your dreams. If the 97 minutes wasted watching this movie were not enough, the subsequent 97 minutes writing this review as a warning to others may provide me with some sort of satisfaction that some good has come out of me seeing this atrocity.
Like my review, the film is full of contradiction, least of all Van Wilder not actually being in it. My friend and I started punching each other to keep us awake during this film.