The film provides a Webster’s-like list of new names for the female reproductive organ - most of which, while admittedly clever, make you feel like you should have your mouth washed out with soap. “Rise of Taj” moves awkwardly from innuendo to innuendo (you can expect to walk away with a completely new perception of the word “sword”). At one point during the movie he instructs students to throw their books out the window, but substitutes instead, “Ejaculate your books.” There’s nothing quite like shoving bad, MTV-style scripted comedy down your throat (no pun intended). Indian-American actor Kal Penn, star of the stoner favorite “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle,” provides a few witty quips - including a poetry recital composed entirely of American song titles - but most of the film’s humor is forced and stale. While the famed National Lampoon attempts to reconnect with its college fraternity roots (you may know a little film called “Animal House” from the late ’70s), it seems to have forgotten the cardinal rule of comedy: Be funny. The first installment was not so earth-shattering that it warranted a clone - the copy and paste buttons shouldn’t be so tempting for a franchise that hasn’t produced anything worthwhile since “Vegas Vacation” ten years ago. Sound familiar? Well, you probably saw the first “Van Wilder” (or “Revenge of the Nerds”), which utilized almost the exact same scheme. Taj pursues the girlfriend of a rival frat leader while at the same time attempting to transform a group of social outcasts and help them win a college-wide competition. But from here, the plot pretty much spirals into clichéd oblivion. The film follows Van Wilder protégé Taj to Camford College in England, where he attempts to put his former mentor’s teachings into practice. Staring at a brick wall comes immediately to mind. Like a dry frat party, it would be best to just stay away from this one and try something else. Instead of capturing the energetic freshness of its predecessor, “Rise of Taj” relied on recycled and predictable jokes to tell the story of the ridiculous Taj Mahal Badalandabad.

And now, with the release of “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: Rise of Taj,” they have a new title among their ranks. All sequels that should have been left in the proverbial studio vault.

National lampoon van wilder cast 2006