Toga! Toga! Toga! Toga! (National Lampoon's Animal House (DVD))

Member Name: The Duke

Product:	National Lampoon's Animal House (DVD)
Date:	21/01/01 (77 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, John Belushi

Disadvantages: thin plot

National Lampoon’s Animal House is a tale of like at an American college in the early 1960’s. Brought to the screen by people such as John Landis and Harold Ramis, this couldn’t be a bad movie, could it?

**Plot**
Kroger and Dorfman (Tom Hulce and Stephen Furst) have just entered college, and to their initial dismay, can only get into the worst fraternity on campus, the Delta frat. Dean Wormer (a fantastic John Vernon) enlists the help of the ultra posh, and ultra hated fraternity Omega to make sure that the Delta’s are tricked into getting themselves kicked off campus. What happens? Do they succeed?

The movie basically revolves around the conflict, and differences between the two frats – Omega are polo playing snobs with all the “right” social and economic connections, whereas the Deltas are the so called scum who are scraping through college exam wise, and holding loud, alcoholic parties at every opportunity.

The plot is very thin, and John Landis does a good job of keeping it focused, although it just about manages. Obviously it’s very much John Belushi’s movie although some other characters are good fun too (I like John Vernons’ Dean Wormer) and there are some excellent set pieces like the food fight, or the toga party.

It’s also interesting seeing a lot of now established actors in early roles – Tom Hulce (Amadeus), Stephen Furst (Babylon 5), Kevin Bacon (everything…), Karen Allen (Starman, Perfect Storm) etc.

At the end of the day though, as you would expect with a John Landis movie which had been co-written by Harold Ramis (other works include Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day) it’s a very funny movie which may be no more than a series of set pieces, but the energy, and acting of the young cast with a few more senior members brings the story to life. Exceedingly funny, and highly recommended!

Summary: