by MARK SLUTSKY

There’s something uniquely frustrating about a movie that doesn’t live up to the potential of its premise. That’s the case with School for Scoundrels, a film based on a pretty good idea, and with a very strong cast, that just can’t quite close the deal.

A loose remake of a 1960 British film with the longer title School for Scoundrels or How to Win Without Actually Cheating!, what we have here is the latest comedy from director Todd Phillips, who’s had a successful but uneven career so far (Old School, Starsky & Hutch). Jon Heder (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) stars as sad-sack Roger, a wussy meter maid mocked by strangers and acquaintances alike. His pal Ian (David Cross) suggests a self-help class to our mopey hero, one that happens to be taught by the slightly crazy Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton) and his aggressive assistant Lesher (Michael Clarke Duncan).

Roger hopes to build up the confidence he needs to ask out his neighbour Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), who, as this is a comedy about an insecure man, is gorgeous, perfectly sweet and adoring, not to mention dense enough to not notice really obvious stuff when the plot requires it. For as soon as the dude starts to get some play with her, the highly competitive Dr. P decides he’s romantically interested as well, and she ends up unwittingly dating both.

The showdown between the slick self-help guru and the newly empowered shlub could have made for some high-octane hilarity, but the jokes in School for Scoundrels never quite materialize. Billy Bob Thornton proved himself a comic genius with Bad Santa (and to a lesser extent, The Bad News Bears), but he just doesn’t have enough to do here.

Heder, too, is likeable enough and the cast is stacked with able comic talent, also including Sarah Silverman as Amanda’s mean roommate (she’s probably the funniest thing in the movie) and some surprise guest stars I won’t give away. So School for Scoundrels’ lameness is kind of a mystery; whether it’s down to laziness, ego-clashing, or perhaps a bunch of fairly talented people all feeling uninspired simultaneously, it’s just not funny enough.

School for Scoundrels opens Friday, Sept. 29

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