This may be a remake of the beloved British comedy, but School For Scoundrels owes more to Vaughn’s frat pack than to Terry Thomas and crew. Jon Heder, our favourite uber-geek and the star of Napoleon Dynamite, plays an unassuming meter maid with a giant crush on pretty Australian neighbour Jacinda Barrett. Sadly, he’s about as popular with the ladies as he is with everyone else. But no matter. The object of his affection is merely the trophy in the game that ensues. When our kindly wimp enrols in a class to transform him from beta male into roaring lion, his instructor, a snarling Billy Bob Thornton becomes his romantic rival.
The results are pretty shapeless and the film doesn’t seem to know how to resolve itself, but when Thornton and Heder are locked in combat, it’s Napoleon Dynamite versus Bad Santa. Surely a battle for the ages.