“National Lampoon’s Van Wilder” is advertised as National Lampoon’s funniest movie since “Animal House.” Considering the crap that National Lampoon has put out lately (“Senior Trip,” anyone?) that doesn’t seem like much of a challenge. Thankfully, the group has overcome its past and managed to put out a funny movie. Let’s start with a point we can all agree on: “Van Wilder” will never win an Oscar. It isn’t that kind of film. But despite all of my low expectations and all of its third-grade humor, I actually liked it. The story is simple: Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) is cut off by his father in his seventh year of school and must raise money for tuition. There’s also a reporter (Tara Reid) determined to interview him for the school paper and provide a romantic angle. But this isn’t a film about the plot. It’s about Van Wilder, a man who takes seven years to get an undergraduate degree because he really loves his school and doesn’t want to leave. Unlike other films of late, in which the characters pull pranks and cause trouble because they have angst, Wilder wants to help everyone. It’s refreshing to see a character who genuinely likes people. This is not to say that the film is without flaws. Poor Reid has no character to play at all. Her Gwen is an uptight journalist who is completely unwilling to have any fun with Wilder, but will bend over backward to please her awful pre-med boyfriend. He is played by Daniel Cosgrove (of “Beverly Hills 90210” fame). Though Cosgrove does his best, his character is just a stereotype villain with no redeeming characteristics. He provides the film with its cliché fraternity boy – hazing pledges, demeaning his girlfriend, providing homosexual innuendo and holding a grudge toward non-Greeks. Despite Cosgrove’s best efforts, the character is vapid and predictable – doomed from the start. The film also perpetuates the strange and inexplicable idea that when women are alone, they always strip down to their undies. This is a pretty clear indication of who the target audience is. Gwen’s character is so poorly written that she seems almost like a piece of the scenery. Male characters abound; Teck from “Real World Hawaii” plays Wilder’s friend for no discernible reasons. He seems to be in the film to prove to the audience that Wilder has friends. Wilder’s personal assistant, Taj, is amusing, though his character sometimes walks the line between funny and stereotypical.The film is also very uneven. Truly funny or emotional moments are usually followed by some sort of toilet humor. One scene in particular, involving a dog and some pastries, is not for those with weak stomach.At other times the base humor is infectious. If one can get past the stereotypes and off-putting jokes, then one can appreciate “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder” for being a silly comedy about a man who really loves his school and his classmates.