mherrin-43253 The New Guy: Directed by Ed Decter and written by David KendallThis is the single digit Tomatometer rating series and we start with The New Guy made in 2002 and its rating is 7%. Yikes right. If I listened to the professional critics on this, I should be running for the hills but I'm a bit of a glutton for cinematic punishment. This movie is pretty terrible but it kind of knows this fact and goes all the way over the top it possibly can. From the very first frame, you know this movie is shooting for the stars and probably doesn't care if it makes it. If you read the plot synopsis and know the genre and the time period this came out in, you'll guess everything that happens from the very beginning. This was made in the shadow of the success of the first American Pie movie. Raunchy teen comedies were a thing. It seems fairly harmless as a movie. I myself did not find it very funny. It was silly and extremely stupid but not funny. It tries too hard to say look at me, look at me being funny over here, I'm being here being funny. It trades in extreme sexualization of the female characters and bad parody of Braveheart. It is all harmless. I absolutely completely understand why the rating is so low for this one. It's really stupid. I give this movie a D.

Python Hyena The New Guy (2002): Dir: Ed Decter / Cast: DJ Qualls, Eddie Griffin, Eliza Dushku, Zooey Deschanel, Lyle Lovett: Comedy about transformation and by its conclusion viewers may wish that it took the form of a better film. DJ Qualls plays a school nerd who is bullied to the point that he attempts expulsion. Why he is sent to prison for this is beyond me but he is trained by Eddie Griffin in the art of intimidation. Now he is enrolled in a new school with a brand new outlook. He goes through the predictable clichés of gaining interest of the school slut and bully's girlfriend. Directed by Ed Decter with amusing references to Patton and Braveheart. Qualls does what he can with otherwise predictable material. We know that he will face his oppressors and conquer and none of it amounts to chalk board dust. Griffin narrates for reasons unclear. He will school Quall in the art of rebellion. Eliza Dushku plays the girlfriend with the personality of a paper bag. Zooey Deschanel also appears as one of Quall's friends who has "unnoticed girlfriend potential" written all over her. This is unfortunate since she is totally hot. Lyle Lovett makes a wasted appearance to remind us that his career is dying rapidly. Theme regards acceptance and fitting in as well as standing up for yourself, which everyone can relate too but the screenplay needed transformation to match and it fails to do so. Score: 5 ½ / 10

camachbr0 This ridiculous film doesn't have much brains, but a lot of laughs at other's expenses and sexy girls, sounds like high school to me. This is a film I grew up with and I think it offers a legitimate way to get yourself out of the unpopular crew. It's an idea deep seeded in every dork or bullied kid's mind. Of course there are various extremities as the film plays like a cartoon without any logic or sense of pain for its characters. What is very true in the film is its overall theme, how to be popular (Be yourself, who hasn't heard that?) and how to get the hot girl (confidence). Because of its touchy subject of popularity that everyone can relate to, this film will grab everyone's heart and emotionally indulge you. That's what it, is a lovable film with a lot of heart and no brains. You'll definitely miss high school, after seeing this despite what part of the social hierarchy you were in. In the end, it's fair to everyone, and you'll smile, question things, shake your head, but try the "crazy eyes" for sure. Good film to re-imagine you scoring with your old high school crush. - camachbr0

Hollywood_Yoda "The New Guy" is one of the best comedy films of the year 2002. D.J. Qualls stars as an outcast high school student who is the butt of all the jokes, and is ridiculed by every social group, but his own, the geeks. With a father like Lyle Lovett, and the friends he has, he must find his way in the world.Hence, go to prison to become a better high school student, and a scarier one too. While in prison, he meets an inmate that knows the secret to scaring someone, "the look". With his new found knowledge, he starts attending a new high school, where he finds the toughest punk, and beats him up, only to become loved by everybody, everybody except his real friends.Along the way, many high school students feel the way that he did, and wish they had a friend on the inside. Comedy is the best way to make friends, so this film deserves 10 out of 10.