School for Scoundrels
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | Release Date: September 29, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
44
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
14
Negative:
9
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Uproarious and unexpectedly biting. Read full review
50
VarietyRobert Koehler
Picture seemed certain to either fly high on outrageous humor or crash under the weight of tastelessness. Instead, the movie just sits there and never comes alive. Read full review
70
Village VoiceRobert Wilonsky
Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton) is a classy, cool brand of vile--the demented drill sergeant in a designer suit. And Heder, cast in the role of the invisible man, is fine too. The movie wouldn't work without someone as nondescript as Heder. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterSheri Linden
An inert and muddled mash-up of romantic comedy and theater of stupid cruelty. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Director Todd Phillips tries for the kind of frat slaphappiness he applied so successfully to "Old School," but these boys are less scoundrels than individual salesmen for the brands of Heder and Thornton. Read full review
30
Austin ChronicleToddy Burton
School for Scoundrels varies between taking itself seriously and not, leaving the viewer alternately confused and disappointed. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyChristopher Orr
This crass remake of the 1960 Robert Hamer film is kept alive for a while by director Todd Phillips (Old School), but ultimately succumbs to its weak script and hopeless typecasting. Read full review
38
Chicago TribuneJessica Reaves
This ultimately disappointing comedy starts reasonably strong, delivers a few good laughs, then rolls over and plays dead. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Ben Stiller provides a jolt of personality as a past victim who rouses himself from exile, but otherwise Todd Phillips' fitfully funny script never delivers the crude creativity or the raw energy that feeds this genre of proudly crass male-centric comedies. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
As usual, Thornton remains fully committed to the performance. Viewers could make a game of scanning his face for even the slightest hint of warmth. By the end of the film, that may be the surest source of entertainment. Read full review
50
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Clearly enamored with the endearing brand of drawly sarcasm for which Thornton has become known, the filmmakers aren't sure whether to paint Dr. P as an uncompromising villain or a mischievous teddy bear. The upshot is that Dr. P's most menacing aspect is Thornton's rather obvious hairpiece. Read full review
30
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
Billy Bob Thornton's leer is much in evidence in the shoddy comedy School for Scoundrels, though the tackiness of the film, its lazy direction and its self-satisfied stupidity may mean that Mr. Thornton curled his lip about the production rather than for it. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert Abele
This is a modest education-of-a-punching-bag entertainment with a kind of breezily rude compatibility -- a hallmark of sorts for both co-writer/director Todd Phillips ("Road Trip," "Starsky & Hutch") and the wonderful actor assigned to play the self-help instructor from hell, Billy Bob Thornton. Read full review
25
USA TodayClaudia Puig
School for Scoundrels will only leave you scratching your head in bewilderment and might possibly shave off IQ points. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
A grim experience, with too little wit and humor to compensate for its faults, and the upbeat ending feels like a cheat. Thornton is good, but not worth the price of a ticket. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
In the funniest and, coincidentally, most "Jackass"-like scene in Todd Phillips' School for Scoundrels, a planned game of paintball gets off to a bad start when the players begin shooting each other at point-blank range. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Director Todd Phillips has become Hollywood's go-to guy for collegiate humor, and though this isn't as funny as his "Road Trip," "Old School," or "Starsky & Hutch," there are some choice sequences of the devious Thornton schooling his milquetoast students. Read full review
25
New York PostKyle Smith
School for Scoundrels teaches one important lesson: Avoid any thing carrying the banner of The Weinstein Co., which is to the multiplex what bagged spinach is to the produce aisle. Read full review
38
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
For all its crudeness, Phillips' tale of men behaving badly is remarkably toothless. Read full review
42
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
This may be Thornton's most arch, least persuasive performance. With Heder he's a vacant scowl. With Barrett he's a threatening yet toothless Cheshire Cat. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeTy Burr
It achieves something previously thought impossible: It renders Billy Bob Thornton unfunny. Read full review
50
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Thornton and Heder perform at about half their maximum wattage, which isn't enough to power the inert script. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldPeter Debruge
In post-"Wedding Crashers" Hollywood, the entire exercise feels dated (just as the comedy's PG-13 rating -- this in spite of a recurring rape joke -- makes it feel neutered). Read full review
50
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Despite the appeal of cobra-eyed Thornton and bunny-nosed Heder, Scoundrels trips early, and often. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
The romance is the movie's least interesting element. But Heder's low-key, surprising charm and Thorton's gleeful wickedness at least glide the film in for a landing. You'll enjoy yourself. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
It would require a near-lethal injection of nitrous oxide to induce laughter. Read full review
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
School for Scoundrels suffers from an old-fashioned identity crisis. The poor thing is awfully confused, and so are we. Is it a black comedy that isn't dark enough? Or a dumb comedy that isn't stupid enough, or a gross-out comedy that isn't yucky enough? Or is it really just a romance comedy that isn't sweet enough? Don't have a clue, but this much is certain: It's definitely a failed comedy that isn't funny enough. Read full review
40
EmpireSam Toy
A script that suffers the same problem as its characters -- lack of confidence -- is in dire need of a fire being lit under its arse. All involved could do with learning a thing or two from some scoundrels of the 'dirty, rotten' school. Read full review
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