Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland (2016)

That was an excellent one.

hyped garbage

Admirable film.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

As a big fan of the TV series I was looking forward to the continued adventures of Alex, Sammy, Thad and the other members of BMS. Now it's always a difficult task to tack on a stand-alone movie to a series (that ended almost 6 years ago), and whilst I admire the fact they took a crack at it, this movie fell well short of my expectations. The biggest problem I have with this movie is the complete lack of sports.. BMS was centered around the exploits of a college football team, and their relationship on and off the field. In Rise of Thadland (ROT) we're treated to one lackluster practice session and that's all she wrote on football. The rest of the movie centers around one completely implausible party (not enough money to save the Goat House yet a party that would make Mr Hefner blush). Speaking of Hefner, early on in the movie they set the tone that ROT has a different rating than the TV series (topless girls galore) but when they have the chance to really push the envelope they hold back. In fact the only full-frontal nudity is supplied by Sammy's character (I'm going out on limb here and say we were privy to Sammy's private parts WAY TOO MUCH!!!) The movie felt flat and disjointed and the use of returning characters Shilo and Radon was nothing short of criminal. No catch ups, reunion scenes just brief semi-cameos. Mmmm time to revisit the TV series and get back that BMS feeling.

I was in this movie as a Police Officer and I had a great time. I hope every one gets the chance to see this. It's definitely a funny movie. Adam Sanderish funny.The director actually would stop filming to get an opinion of a Background Actor. You could feel his passion for his work. This is rare.I was a little disappointed that it went straight to online rentals. But, all in all it was worth the wait.I really hope to work with this crew again. I think it was one of the best, most friendly sets I've been on.Also, the main cast was very kind and willing to share advice.Or,a joke.I was actually thrilled while I was watching it.

Give me a hell, give me a yeah, hell yeah! Because Blue Mountain State is back...sort of.While it's not season 4, it's something better: a film adaptation of the television show. In the past we have seen shows come back as films with the same talent in front and behind the camera, such as Entourage (and Sex in the City and Veronica Mars, but I haven't seen their shows or their movies). But to put it in simple terms, this is a worthwhile wait to see Moran, Sammie, Thad and the gang back.The story is pretty simple. Alex Moran is entering his senior year at Blue Mountain State and what seems to be the year in which he'll control the legendary Goat House. But the new school dean has another idea: selling the goat house so that the football team will concentrate on the field. So in order to save the Goat House, Moran will have to ask the help of an old friend Thad Castle, former BMS football player and captain as well as the number one draft in the NFL. Thad agrees that he will buy the Goat House but on one condition: they have to throw Thad's dream party, including an amusement park known as Thadland.Pretty easy to see where it's going right? NopeWhat I liked:This movie does what some TV shows turned movies failed to do, be a good movie. Look, we don't see Blue Mountain State for it's artistic value or it's compelling drama, we see it for the boobs, drugs, and alcohol as well as it's hilarious moments.Unlike most movies based on shows, this movie raises the stakes for the characters and does stuff that you couldn't pull of on Spike. There is something to lose in the film, the Goat House; something that wasn't in a film like Entourage. Also, like I said above, this movie is hilarious. I don't want to give away any specific moments but there are tons of gut-busting scenes in this movie. There is one sex scene in this movie (out of many) that is so hilarious, that's worth the price of admission (though it was released on digital, so worth buying on your computer?).Another great thing about the movie is the cast, everyone is still hilarious and we get to see some of our old favorites such as Craig Shilo and Radon Randell. And how can I talk about the cast without talking about Alan Ritchson as Thad Castle. He's probably the best thing about this movie. He's hilarious and it reminds you why you loved the character in the first place. The character of Thad Castle will go down in history as one of the funniest TV characters, right there with Stewie Griffin, Sheldon Cooper, and Carlton Banks. Also, this movie is so unpredictable. If anything, there is only one thing you might expect but other than that, it is really a wild ride because you are not sure what the hell is gonna happen at the end.What I disliked:Though there's not a lot to dislike, the main focus of this movie is Alex Moran and Thad Castle, which is great and all but I would've liked to see more of the character moments. Most of the cast appearances, such as those of Harmon, Donnie, Larry, and Mary Jo, are satisfying appearances. But those of Craig Shilo and Radon Randell are a little underwhelming, especially Radon because he just seems to show up without set up and it would've been interesting to see what the two have been up to since we last saw them. But the biggest of underwhelming characters is Sammie. Though he has lots of funny moments, he seems to be demoted to an over-the-top party animal, which is something that he has was in the show (but in the show had more character).Also, what prevented Blue Mountain State from being another shitty American Pie direct- to-video movie was the football aspect of the show, the moments like when the NCAA is doing a drug test or Thad going soft on the football field, something that this movie doesn't have and it's absence is duly noted. The film didn't need a football-centered plot, but are we really going to get only one scene of them on the field?Final Verdict:To put it simply, it's hilarious and it's a worthy successor of the television show. To many it would be seen an awesome party movie, but it shows the Blue Mountain State has stuff to offer still. This isn't the ending of the BMS franchise, it's a brand new beginning (at least I hope), where it can be explored through another season or movie.Also this movie isn't for those who dislike party movies, but why would you see it then? Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland reminds me of why I fell in love with the show in the first place and why I wished my college was like this. Old fans will love this film, newbies will enjoy it. For newbies, I'd recommend binge-watching the show on Netflix and then watch this. Overall Score: B+ (or 7.5/10)

I was envisioning Thad in the NFL with appearances being made by NFL players. Seeing him in his uniform or practicing for his new NFL team. Seeing him getting drafted should have been a scene in the movie, considering how much they talked about it during the show. We really got none of that. Very small amounts of the plot had anything to do with football at all.When I heard they were bringing back Radon who is absolutely brilliant in his role on the show, I had high hopes, maybe we would catch up with him in the NFL or see him resurrect DREAMS on television now being a pro player. I was really disappointed to see how little he was used in the movie. Same goes for Shilo. Thought it was very forced to work him back into the story. Thought maybe we would see him playing in NFL or rival college team . But he had a very minor part in the movie.Would have really liked to see more of a story line with the development of the characters going forward rather than just over the top drugs and partying the entire time.Some actors in the movie are on the wrong side of 30 playing college kids. The show went off the air nearly 5 years ago now, there was way too much time in between for the characters to still be playing the same ages as they were in the show. Really wish they were able to make a real theatrical movie with a real budget because based on how great the TV show was, I think they could have made a great movie.