johndogias
This is one of the best movies i have ever seen. I you expect to see another gross teen movie you are wrong It is funny without having to have stupid jokes like other teen movies and it is enjoyable to watch.I recommend this movie to every one.Funny, hilarious, feel good movie. Don't listen to the naysayers. It's a teen movie for god's sake - what were these reviewers expecting? Shakespeare? The movie does start a little slow, but unlike the other teen movie releases recently, this one has some good surprises, not to mention the cameos - look out for Tommy Lee Jones, funny scenes with Tony Hawk (of skateboarding fame; another indication that the movie is geared to the X-games type crowd), David Hasselhoff, and even Vanilla Ice! LOL :)) The "Braveheart" scene is just too much. And if you have even the remotest appreciation for real music, the soundtrack is full of some wicked funk, from James Brown all the way to Outkast. See ya!
Ryn Har
As far as comedy goes, you can't get much better than this. They casted "DJ" perfectly and he fits into this role like a glove. This movie gives geeks the world over a confidence boost as shows them that geeks can quickly turn into bad-asses (with some forged papers and enough eyeliner). This movie is hilarious and Eddy Griffin's character makes this movie totally unforgettable. All the scenes in the prison are comedy gold, although it portrays prison as being one large party. And everyone feels good when they see a high school bully get beaten. 8/10 score on a general scale, but 9 out of 10 as far as comedy movies go, really a fantastic comedy movie.
Jakemcclake
Some Spoilers DJ Quails stars as a kid who purposely gets expelled from one school to go in to another school, where he can start with a new reputation. The story then shows him attaining all of what he wants, but he has to disconnect himself from his past. Then he is reconnected with the past he is running from. There are a couple laughs and a feel good or almost fairy tale ending, as all works out in the ends and he gets the girl and keeps his new reputation.Eliza Dushku also stars in this one and she is the girl he gets. She again in an edgy cheerleader and a side character, like "Bring It On". I always watch Eliza hoping for a little more drama from her. She can be a very powerful dramatic actress. However, in this one, she hardly raises her voice.The story may seem pretty unrealistic, but it has a good theme, I believe in. The main character's major change starts as an act, but he gradually gains confidence in himself. When his confidence changes, he is no longer concerned so much with himself, but with others. At that point he becomes likable and one can understand why the new school likes him.
Andy (film-critic)
To be honest, and this will probably shock you, I felt a soft spot for this film. It could have been the multitude of cameos. Maybe it was the shockingly impassioned DJ Qualls, or maybe it was the fact that this reminded me of a different time in cinema where movies were made to just be funny. "The New Guy" felt like one part "Can't Hardly Wait", one part "Empire Records", with one part actually feeling like a dud Pauley Shore movie. You probably hate me already, but these elements clicked with me. Now, this wasn't Oscar-caliber in any way shape or form, but it did hold my attention, made me chuckle, and made me appreciate classic 90s (early 00s) tween comedy.The plot surrounding this film could be found anywhere. Qualls plays Dizzy Harrison, a nobody determined to be someone this year in school. A debacle – of which will not be mentioned – sends him screaming to the nurses office and eventually into jail. It is during his moments of detention that he meets with Luther (the low-point of the film Eddie Griffin), who teaches him to act like he is a different person. It sticks, Dizzy goes to another school under the pseudonym of Gil Harris – wins the hearts of the students, a hot cheerleader named Danielle (Eliza Dushku), and nearly looses all of his friends. Will he be able to live the high life he has created, or will his past catch up to him? If you cannot answer this question, it is obvious you need to start watching more movies. Like I said when I started this, the plot isn't something you want to spend your Sunday writing to Grandma about – it is the passion of the characters, the enthusiasm of the creators, and the easy-going spirit of the film that actually hooked me more than I anticipated. I liked the jokes. I liked laughing at Lyle Lovett getting hit in the eye with a flaming marshmallow, I liked the fact that Vanilla Ice was playing a FYE-esquire employee with a mean streak, and I loved whenever those O'Connell boys were on the screen. Something about these moments took me back when comedies prided themselves on weak plots and cameos galore. One could almost say this was a precursor to the "Scary Movie" franchise, except better executed.The plot is feeble. That has been established already. The plot wasn't bad, it was just cliché ridden to the point where you could care less what was going to happen (because it was predictable prior to it happening), but wanted to see our characters – Qualls, Dushku, Deschanel, Lovett, O'Connell, and more (Gene Simmons as a Reverend?) – were headed. I can't say that I loved the characters, but they kept my attention on screen more than I thought. I think what impressed me about this film was that it didn't rely on crass body humor to progress the plot, the jokes (while weak) did have some moments of creativity to them. Someone tried to give this film a cult standing, but failed – but not without going out fighting. I applaud this attempt. The characters worked well together. Whether you were waiting for another priceless cameo or just watching Qualls bumble around Dushku, I was following it. This combination was perfect with a cool beverage, a warm evening, and a desire to laugh. There wasn't any high level of expectation – and I think that is where "The New Guy" succeeded. It knew where it wanted to be, and it didn't strive to go further. I have been hesitant to see "Borat" because of the hype that everyone applauds to it, so in this instance the bar has been set too high. For "The New Guy", I knew very little about it outside of the previews that I had seen in other films for this one. I didn't want to see this movie, but when it arrived, I wasn't scared to put it in my DVD player. I was happy. This was a chuckle filled film.Another element that I really enjoyed was the parody connection. "The New Guy" parodied other films of that year (or older/younger) and you just don't see that anymore. Outside of the obvious parody films that have been released lately (shall we never speak of "Epic Movie" again), Hollywood tends to avoid this in modern cinema, but for this critic is has always made me laugh. Why do you think I own "The Critic" series? I thought this really enforced this film's standard – again – without going over the preset bar, it brought a new level of comedy to the surface and writer David Kendall coupled with the direction of Ed Decter did a great job of keeping performances low, cameos high, and intelligence mediocre. There was a level of understanding that this was a decent film, but it didn't want the general public to know it.Overall, I could complain about the bad parts of this film all day, I could also speak highly of other parts that I just seemed to cobble up like leftover cake, but I am not. I will suggest this film to friends and family, let them be grumpy with me for a bit, but I liked this movie. It is not one that will be added to my collection, but for the time and place that I am currently at "The New Guy" hit the spot. Qualls isn't the greatest comedian, but his comic timing is genuine. His matching with Dushku was preposterous and we all knew, but we went along anyway because it was a comfortable cliché. I like the comfortable clichés.Don't skip it, but don't knock it till you see it. Surprise yourself.Grade: *** out of *****
