General Education

What screenwriters [Tom] Morris, Elliot Feld and Jaz Kalkat fail to build is dramatic tension: affable, extremely self-involved Levi easily skates around all obstacles.

If given the choice between going to class and seeing the high-school comedy General Education, go with school.

Defiantly humorless, the comedy is little more than a grab-bag of familiar high school-film cliches populated with bland characters played by barely-there actors. It was clearly a labor of love for no one.

The film is like a new colt tripping over itself, going off every which way ...

Wavers between extreme silliness and unbearable earnestness.

The lead character's sister is more interesting than he is, and she spends much of her screen time as a mute mime.

What have I learned? High school movies can be duller—and more sour—than previously thought possible...The least generic element of General Education is its openly hostile attitude toward gay people. [Blu-ray]

A technically impressive tapioca of a movie, this bland indie seriocomedy may serve as an early springboard for a couple of talented young actors, but little else.

The film feels like a strained collection of outtakes from other comedies about teenage nerds and dysfunctional families.

Plays out in a bland sitcom way, but is mercifully peppered with a few bizarre moments of surreal slapstick that keep it afloat.

Unfortunately, in General Education, even tried-and-true formulas fall flat thanks to the lack of several key elements-good dialogue, fully developed characters and a satisfying story.

Too derivative to be amusing and too earnest to be parodic, it assumes the form of countless other teen comedies minus any wit or drama.