MOVIE REVIEW

The film is heavy on raunch and light on actual comedy or originality.

By Gary Goldstein, Special to The Times

Take equal parts "Superbad," "Animal House" and "Risky Business"; extract the wit, charm and originality; mix in as much beer, human excrement and upchuck as logistically possible; sprinkle liberally with nudity, homophobia and sexism; and you'll have the recipe for "College," a tedious, by-the-numbers raunch-fest that exists strictly because it can.

Directed by Deb Hagan from Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison's grab-bag script, the movie also proves an unfortunate big-screen choice for appealing TV star Drake Bell (Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh"), who plays Kevin, a buttoned-up high-schooler who takes off for a wild college weekend to shed his nice-guy image.

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Along with his two outcast buds -- chunky loudmouth Carter (Andrew Caldwell) and nerdy Morris (Kevin Covais) -- Kevin winds up stuck in a hellish frat house whose merciless brothers, led by callow stud Teague (Brad Pitt look-alike Nick Zano), conspire to make the naive trio's pre-frosh visit one they'll never forget. And not in a good way.

Some low-lights: Kevin is forced to clean perhaps the grossest toilet bowl in movie history; Kevin and company land in a cartoonish gay frat party missing only the Village People; Verne Troyer urinates on some folks; and there's a lovely pig stampede. Enjoy.

"College." MPAA rating: R for pervasive crude and sexual content, nudity, language, drug and alcohol abuse. Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes. In general release.