Jon Heder, Jacinda Barrett, Billy Bob Thornton
Directed by Todd Phillips
Rated PG-13

It’s hard not to pity shy New Yorker Roger (Heder), who has no luck with the ladies, has been rejected by three boys at Big Brother and his job as a parking enforcer finds him humiliated regularly.

An acquaintance suggests Roger attend a covert class to build his ego, taught by the brutally honest and devilish Dr. P (Thornton). There Roger discovers the confidence to ask out his attractive neighbor, Amanda (Barrett). (A bitter battle later ensues over the girl.)

Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) proves his worth here as the awkward, goofy, socially-inept “loser,” but manages to take it to the next level, showing he has more to offer. Thornton is at his wry best, constantly challenging his class to become men while casually demeaning and berating them.And it’s funny.

Where most comedies tend to come on strong and fade out fast or become repetitive mighty quickly, Scoundrels is one of those rare flicks that keep the laughs coming throughout the show.

The supporting cast helps keep it together and with Sarah Silverman and David Cross in the line-up, you can’t really go wrong. The rest of Dr. P’s class is made up of “Saturday Night Live” and VH1’s “Best Week Ever” cast-offs and they play their roles accordingly. Michael Clark Duncan is sadistic as the seriously twisted Lesher, henchman to Dr. P and enemy to the class.

Though the humor remains a bit juvenile and low-brow, it’s still a good time. Written and directed by Phillips, (Old School, Starsky and Hutch) you know what you’re getting. It’s silly, but it’ll make you laugh?something many comedies fail to do.