The New Guy review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

So what's new about The New Guy? Not much, actually, and we'd be telling Porky's if we said you haven't seen it all a gazillion times before. But then what do you expect? Given that it's directed by the co-scripter of There's Something About Mary and stars one of the leads from Road Trip, you'd be a fool to sit down expecting anything other than the usual hi-jinks, pratfalls and gross-out gags.

Okay, so it does have a certain charm thanks to DJ Qualls, a scrawny dweeb of an actor who looks like he'd snap in two if you so much as shook his hand, but there's only so much he can do to sweeten the more sadistic elements of Ed Decter's comedy.

The tale of a high-school loser (Qualls) who hooks up with a jive-talking DJ (Eddie Griffin) and is instantly transformed into the coolest guy in class, it ain't exactly subtle - jokes involve midgets, constipation and mangled testicles. True, undemanding punters will get a kick out of the broad parodies (Con Air, Patton, Braveheart), "star" cameos (Lyle Lovett, Vanilla Ice, Henry Rollins) and a gratuitous scene where cutie Eliza Dushku models a series of skimpy swimsuits, but there's little here that wasn't done to death in Revenge Of The Nerds. And that was 20 years ago.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

Latest in Action Movies
The cast of Thunderbolts
Marvel fans are revealing who they'd like to see added to the Thunderbolts lineup, from Moon Knight to a major Hulk villain
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson doubles down on never coming back as Black Widow: “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?"
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn on set of Joker 2
Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. I love winning things"
Jack Quaid in Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid's commitment to the bit is unmatched as his latest marketing stunt for upcoming action movie Novocaine goes viral
Julian McMahon as Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four
The Doctor Doom actor from 2005's Fantastic Four thinks Robert Downey Jr.'s take on the role in the next Avengers movies will be "pretty extraordinary": "I love watching his work"
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
James Gunn reveals Jason Momoa text him about Lobo the day he was announced as DC Studios co-head
Latest in Reviews
Lenovo Legion Go S with FlyKnight gameplay on screen featuring player character holding bow and arrow with enemy ant in backdrop.
Lenovo Legion Go S Windows 11 review: “my heart aches for this mixed up handheld”
Talisman 5th Edition game components
Talisman 5th Edition review: "The characterful imperfections of the original game remain clear to see "
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Altered: Trial by Frost booster box and packs on a playmat
Altered: Trial by Frost review - "Satisfying enough to offer highly varied gameplay"
Three SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pads on a wooden desk
I didn't expect to prefer a coarser mouse pad, but SteelSeries' new QcK Performance range has changed my mind
Boro and Alta sit on a bench together in Wanderstop
Wanderstop review: "Exalting the transformative power of tea"