The D Train – Film Review by Frances Winston

Directed by: Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel

Starring: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Russell Posner, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White

In cinemas September 18th

Jack Black makes a departure from his usual zany characters here to play everyman Dan Landsman, the self-appointed head of his high school class’s twentieth anniversary reunion committee. Together with a motley crew of one time geeks and dorks he attempts to fuel interest in the event to no avail. However when he sees former jock and the most popular guy in the school Oliver Lawless (Marsden) in a commercial he decides to try and use him to attract a crowd. Lying to his boss in order to get to LA where Oliver is based he reconnects with his former school mate. However, all is not as it seems with Oliver and after one very drunken night Dan finds himself sharing an intimate moment with the handsome actor. Committed to getting him to attend the reunion he is forced to suppress his secret while trying to figure out a way to keep Oliver out of his life.

Black may have toned down the zaniness but this is still as puerile as most of his other work with a hefty dose of homophobia thrown in for good measure. As with many Black pictures the jokes are smutty, the script is weak and the plot seems to just amble along. Black is good as Landsman and Marsden refreshingly doesn’t take himself too seriously as the handsome and vain Oliver however they have very little chemistry. I did find myself wondering why Marsden would even accept this role and all I can think of is that he was looking for a departure.

In trying to make a statement about how events in High School or Secondary School can shape us for life the writing directing team of Paul and Mogel have resorted to cheap laughs and stereotypes rather than a serious social commentary. Reunion pictures always give a great opportunity to get retrospective with the characters but that is wasted here in favour of the “shock” twist. By the end of the movie you don’t even care if Dan’s wife and family find out since the whole thing has been hyped to hysterical proportions by Black.

This was pulled from 847 theatres in its second week in the US and I can’t see it enjoying a long run here either. One for the diehard Jack Black fans only.