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Parents' Guide to

National Lampoon's Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj

By Jane Boursaw, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Lame, horrid sequel is even worse than the first.

Movie R 2006 95 minutes
National Lampoon's Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Castellanos
Castellanos Adult
July 16, 2009
age 13+

It's Van Wilder, just without Van Wilder

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj is relatively the same as the first Van Wilder, just this time, Van Wilder has been replaced by his assistant, Taj. Simply put, if you really liked the first Van Wilder, then this is worth a rental. Otherwise, you'll probably be disappointed. parents should know that this Van Wilder is just as bad (in terms of inappropriateness) as the first. There is drinking to excess, bare breasts and butts, all kinds of sex and sexual references. There a handful of f**ks, s**ts, c**k, d**k, p***y, t*t, m**f, and many other swear words or slang terms for body parts. In closing, this film should only be watched by true fans of the first Van Wilder film, all others should skip it.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The crazy college antics continue in the second crude, sex-laden movie in the Van Wilder series. In the first film, Ryan Reynolds played a popular student at Coolidge College, who decided that, after seven years as an undergraduate, he needed an assistant. So he enlisted the help of Taj (Kal Penn), a foreign exchange student whose goal was to lose his virginity. The two quickly became best buddies, hanging out and partying. This time around, Taj heads across the pond, hoping to further his studies at England's prestigious Camden University. Instead, he finds himself surrounded by snobby, uptight Brits. He makes it his goal in life to loosen them up.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

As you might imagine from the plot description, the movie involves many implausible and poorly scripted situations involving campus partying, drinking, sex, and crude humor. There's also a rivalry that develops between Taj and other students.

So what's the big problem? First of all, Van Wilder isn't even in this movie, so why name it VAN WILDER 2 (answer: to make the marketing folks' job that much easier)? Second, it's offensive, stupid, and completely pointless. Third -- oh, never mind. Just skip this movie and make sure your kids never see it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why movies like this keep getting made. What's the appeal of characters like these and their gross, over-the-top behavior? What would happen in real life to people who did these kinds of things? What messages does the movie send about college life? Do teens expect college to be like it is in the movies? Why do you think the movie is called Van Wilder 2 if the character of Van Wilder isn't even in it? How does having "Van Wilder" in the title work as a marketing/advertising shorthand?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: November 30, 2006
  • On DVD or streaming: March 27, 2007
  • Cast: Daniel Percival , Kal Penn , Lauren Cohan
  • Director: Mort Nathan
  • Inclusion Information: Gay actors, Indian/South Asian actors, Female actors
  • Studio: MGM/UA
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 95 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: pervasive crude sexual content, some nudity and language.
  • Last updated: October 3, 2023

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