This film is one of my honorable mentions of school comedies, it's also another comedy that passed under the radar, like a student passed by a bus. I really got into this movie in the latter part of my adolescence and was looking into crude/teen comedies which were starting to become more frequent in the mid to late 90's. This film you could say is pretty much "Animal House" but in High School, I think that's makes sense going this direction just as "Animal House" parodied/satire a little on students and their subculture in Collage, this does it for teen and their subculture in High School.
This isn't I would say a great comedy by any means it's not trying to be, this is one of those comedies where you just simply turn your brain off and have fun, and that part of the purpose of most comedies anyway to just have fun. I really like the characters both teachers and students their colorful characters and each of them have some memorable moments. Let alone I actually really like the high school they're in, despite the wild and crude company it's strangely a school that actually functions and is clean (or clean as can be), there's no bullies or violence anywhere (or none I can detect), except for one preppy jerk but he's easy to deal with. Other than that I would of liked to gone to this school.
Dags is my favorite character whom is surprisingly by Jeremy Renner. This was his film debut and it's one heck of a debut, this movie seems like the least likely film this famous actor would ever do/did; but then again same can be said about a lot of other actors out there. Also, at the time he sort of looks like actor Brendan Fraser if you can believe that. Jeremy is just great at playing a total rebel slacker, what I like about him is he's not afraid to put it out there or do what he feels like or feels must be done. He's also slightly determined in getting what he want as there is his pursuit in winning over the character Lisa whom is pretty, she's a person that is on the studious side and just doesn't know when to loosen up, and she does once she spends more time with Dags. Dags has some good lines, he says my favorite line in the film, "Let's do some Van Damage!" I just think that's an awesome quote, I like the say that sometimes if I feel like being aggressive, and on a side note Van Damme is one of my favorite action stars which make it more fun.
Principal Todd Moss by Matt Fewer is funny, he's basically the school authority archetype, whom is just extremely uptight from his voice and wardrobe. He's trying so very hard (or very little) in trying to keep everything at the school going right. It's just funny how much grief he is being dealt from Dags and the fellow students which makes him lose a little of his cool.
Tommy Chong as Red is funny despite only in the film for a small amount of time, as he's pretty much playing the same character he's played in his "Cheech and Chong" films and as usual does it well. It's funny that this guy has became a bus driver despite the fact he really shouldn't be driving, though fitting for the company he's escorting. It's also funny how much grief he gives the principal showing how much disrespect he has for authority figures and is clearly on the kids' side, from not opening the doors unless he says the magic word, it cracks me up when we find out what that word is.
On a side note you also see famous voice actress Tara Strong whom looked pretty good and has a little memorable moment in the film. As well as Nicole de Boer whom is a sci fi TV show alumni from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "The Dead Zone", she has a really small role in this as well and say's another favorite quote with some girl in the psa movie scene "Poor Suzy."
Other than that, the film is just plain stupid fun full of stupid fun antics. There are lots of them, from an assembly scene when there is some hippie/ Christian rock group called "High on Life" (they seriously should have rethought that band title) whom is singing let's just say a song not on my favorites list. Dags and his friend Reggie of course put on a cool heavy metal song and the assembly turns into a rave, I remember thinking "yeah, now this is an assembly."
A scene where al the students are watching one of those bad black and white psa movies. This scene sort of predates "Rifftrax" as we see the students mocking the film as it goes on. That scene always cracks me up because it's true, a lot of those psa films in the schools weren't always on par in quality or some of them can be strange, despite the good message they try too hard to send. Let alone the fact that the main guy and girl character always had a name that rhymes or ends with the letter y like Jimmy, Billy, Suzy, etc. Either there weren't that many names at the time, or the writer was too lazy to think up any other names.
There is another little scene which was sweet and funny when Dag's friend Reggie and this shy girl, whom throughout the film always had her eyes covered. Both are watching "Jason Goes to Hell" and she says something of Jason and Freddy fandom which is funny but is really on the nose as that comment was prolific to the film "Freddy versus Jason".
There is also this rather strange subplot involving a psycho crossing guard (played by Kevin McDonald from "Kids in the Hall") whom let's just say his Starship isn't operating on warp speed. It's just funny as we see him relentlessly pursuing Reggie for a crack comment he's made (man that guy really can't take a joke) and at the same time taking his fandom for the show "Star Trek" too far. There are several jokes and references on the show going on in this subplot, the writer obvious was a big fan of Trek.
"Senior Trip" is worth a trip.
Rating: 3 stars
This isn't I would say a great comedy by any means it's not trying to be, this is one of those comedies where you just simply turn your brain off and have fun, and that part of the purpose of most comedies anyway to just have fun. I really like the characters both teachers and students their colorful characters and each of them have some memorable moments. Let alone I actually really like the high school they're in, despite the wild and crude company it's strangely a school that actually functions and is clean (or clean as can be), there's no bullies or violence anywhere (or none I can detect), except for one preppy jerk but he's easy to deal with. Other than that I would of liked to gone to this school.
Dags is my favorite character whom is surprisingly by Jeremy Renner. This was his film debut and it's one heck of a debut, this movie seems like the least likely film this famous actor would ever do/did; but then again same can be said about a lot of other actors out there. Also, at the time he sort of looks like actor Brendan Fraser if you can believe that. Jeremy is just great at playing a total rebel slacker, what I like about him is he's not afraid to put it out there or do what he feels like or feels must be done. He's also slightly determined in getting what he want as there is his pursuit in winning over the character Lisa whom is pretty, she's a person that is on the studious side and just doesn't know when to loosen up, and she does once she spends more time with Dags. Dags has some good lines, he says my favorite line in the film, "Let's do some Van Damage!" I just think that's an awesome quote, I like the say that sometimes if I feel like being aggressive, and on a side note Van Damme is one of my favorite action stars which make it more fun.
Principal Todd Moss by Matt Fewer is funny, he's basically the school authority archetype, whom is just extremely uptight from his voice and wardrobe. He's trying so very hard (or very little) in trying to keep everything at the school going right. It's just funny how much grief he is being dealt from Dags and the fellow students which makes him lose a little of his cool.
Tommy Chong as Red is funny despite only in the film for a small amount of time, as he's pretty much playing the same character he's played in his "Cheech and Chong" films and as usual does it well. It's funny that this guy has became a bus driver despite the fact he really shouldn't be driving, though fitting for the company he's escorting. It's also funny how much grief he gives the principal showing how much disrespect he has for authority figures and is clearly on the kids' side, from not opening the doors unless he says the magic word, it cracks me up when we find out what that word is.
On a side note you also see famous voice actress Tara Strong whom looked pretty good and has a little memorable moment in the film. As well as Nicole de Boer whom is a sci fi TV show alumni from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "The Dead Zone", she has a really small role in this as well and say's another favorite quote with some girl in the psa movie scene "Poor Suzy."
Other than that, the film is just plain stupid fun full of stupid fun antics. There are lots of them, from an assembly scene when there is some hippie/ Christian rock group called "High on Life" (they seriously should have rethought that band title) whom is singing let's just say a song not on my favorites list. Dags and his friend Reggie of course put on a cool heavy metal song and the assembly turns into a rave, I remember thinking "yeah, now this is an assembly."
A scene where al the students are watching one of those bad black and white psa movies. This scene sort of predates "Rifftrax" as we see the students mocking the film as it goes on. That scene always cracks me up because it's true, a lot of those psa films in the schools weren't always on par in quality or some of them can be strange, despite the good message they try too hard to send. Let alone the fact that the main guy and girl character always had a name that rhymes or ends with the letter y like Jimmy, Billy, Suzy, etc. Either there weren't that many names at the time, or the writer was too lazy to think up any other names.
There is another little scene which was sweet and funny when Dag's friend Reggie and this shy girl, whom throughout the film always had her eyes covered. Both are watching "Jason Goes to Hell" and she says something of Jason and Freddy fandom which is funny but is really on the nose as that comment was prolific to the film "Freddy versus Jason".
There is also this rather strange subplot involving a psycho crossing guard (played by Kevin McDonald from "Kids in the Hall") whom let's just say his Starship isn't operating on warp speed. It's just funny as we see him relentlessly pursuing Reggie for a crack comment he's made (man that guy really can't take a joke) and at the same time taking his fandom for the show "Star Trek" too far. There are several jokes and references on the show going on in this subplot, the writer obvious was a big fan of Trek.
"Senior Trip" is worth a trip.
Rating: 3 stars