AMERICAN Pie goes to university in first-time director Dewey Nicks' kooky extension of the gross-out teen comedy.

Jason Schwartzman, in his first role since the inspired Rushmore, stars as Ethan, a geeky student who finds out that three fellow students are operating an elaborate scam to steal exam papers.

Having rumbled their skullduggery, Ethan insists on getting the most charming member of the trio, Dave (Devon Sawa) into helping him win the heart (and more importantly the body) of the delightful Angela (Laura Prepon).

The trouble is, Dave is a bit too successful and finds he too is falling for Angela. Should he continue to scam his way through college - or will he come clean and claim his dream girl?

The notion of college kids with too much time on their hands has inspired many a workaday movie comedy and if you think of this as Animal House meets Garp via Mission: Impossible you won't be far short of the mark. But it brings nothing new to the genre, which is a shame as Ethan in particular has the potential to be very dark and worrying, but instead, his less appealing traits are merely flirted with.

There's nothing to really like or dislike about Slackers. It's a routine, bread and butter comedy, but, despite a cameo from Cameron Diaz, it should have been far more substantial.

Nick Churchill