Super Troopers 2
20th Century Fox
Directed by: Jay Chandrasekhar
Written by: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erick Stolhanske
Starring: Sean William Scott, Clifton Collins Jr., Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter, Damon Wayans Jr.
IT’s BEEN SEVENTEEN YEARS? IS THIS DUMB AND DUMBER TO ALL OVER AGAIN?!
When a movie takes this long to release a sequel it’s fair to question if its mere fan service with recycled jokes and cheap gags or an actual attempt to make something new and funny. Well, let’s be fair, most comedies have some form of cheap gags. In the end, it’s a comedy. So, let strike that one from the record. Recycled jokes make way more sense in this context because viewers will see it as lazy and a poor attempt. BUT, yes (there’s a but), I’m here to reassure you that Super Troopers 2 steers clear of this trope. There are little hints and line drops that harken back to what made the first movie funny. But, at no point does this movie rely on those for laughs. Instead, it relies on its characters, who are still the same after all these years, to be its strength. If you loved these characters, the first time around I have a good feeling you will enjoy them just as much the second time around.
The entire Broken Lizard gang is back. Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar), Farva (Kevin Heffernan), Mac (Steve Lemme), Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske), Foster (Paul Soter) and Captain O’Hagan (Brian Cox). And they’re hilarious as ever. I won’t spoil anything (You want to be surprised, right?). I’ll just say this. The gang does a wonderful job of tying up the seventeen-year gap.
YES, I’LL HAVE ONE SIDE OF CAMEOS WITH MORE CAMEOS, PLEASE!
This might sound annoying on the surface. There have been plenty of sequel’s that flexed their muscles in the form of star power to an annoying extent. I didn’t find this to be the case with Super Troopers 2 at all. This movie is chock full of cameos with Lynda Carter, Rob Lowe, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Will Sasso, Fred Savage (You’ll know when you see it) and so many more. But, what I enjoyed about these guest stars is that they served a purpose to the story. A very funny purpose. They aren’t just random unnecessary cameos.
THIS MIGHT BE MY SHORTEST REVIEW EVER…
Let’s remember, we’re talking about a comedy here. I’m not going to waste your time and break down every piece of this film. Hey, I’d like to keep you around for future reviews, not bore you to death.
This flick is loads of funny. The story isn’t over elaborate and moves at a steady pace that keeps the laughs coming. Going into this movie I really wasn’t sure what to expect. To be honest, my bar was low. That’s not to say I went in being negative. But, the long layoff and this similar path we’ve traveled down before (Dumb and Dumber To) made me very hesitant. But, this movie pleasantly surprised me. I was laughing almost the entire time. I still found the characters to be hilarious and enjoyable.
With any luck we’ll be graced with a one final installment wrapping up this, what I’m sure will be, legendary trilogy, in 2035.