
A wise man once said, “You don’t look at the mantle when poking the fire.” Sure, it was Farva, played by Kevin Heffernan, but I assure you it is hilarious in context despite the source.
There is always a risk when making a sequel to what is essentially a cult favorite, as the original “Super Troopers” was not a box office hit. Its fans became so passionate about wanting a sequel that when it was announced that it would need help through crowdfunding, the money they needed was raised in less than a day and a half. So, picking up a few years after the last film left off, the crew of Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar), Mac (Steve Lemme), Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske), Foster (Paul Soter), and Farva (Heffernan) have lost their jobs after an unfortunate incident and are working construction. When it is discovered that an error in a treaty misaligned the border of Vermont with Quebec, they are given their old jobs back to be a part of it. Things do not necessarily go as planned in the transition between the locals, their leaders (Rob Lowe, Emmanuelle Chriqui), and the Royal Mounted Police (Hayes MacArthur, Tyler Labine, and Will Sasso). Add to that the boys stumbling on a new case, and we are off to the races.
This movie is hilarious throughout but may have played a mental trick on the audience by opening with a very underwhelming scene that comes roaring back with solid humor the rest of the way through. (And yes, you will want to stay the whole way as there even more as the credits roll and beyond.) What may be the most impressive aspect however is the fact that Broken Lizard appears to have successfully applied knowledge learned from the first movie seventeen years ago, as its story streamlines past details that broke up the fun of the original and better uses the plot as an enhancement or setup for the jokes. Using the first big success for Broken Lizard as an outline, it is easy to see how the details of the first movie have been manipulated to create an original idea.
While Jay Chandrasekhar continues to show a skillful hand as the director, he is less of a focal character in this picture compared to the original. This makes me wonder if this helped the humor hit more effectively, as he could focus on guiding his fellow cast members given that he has become one of the most trusted in comedy television today.
It would be unsurprising if history repeated itself with critics not enjoying the film while fans love it because it is not an artistic masterpiece, nor is it a gripping tale, but you will laugh hysterically at Rob Lowe’s (Parks and Recreation) grip. As one of the contributors to the abovementioned crowdsourcing campaign, you’re welcome. Sophisticated it is not, but if you can enjoy a good raunchy comedy, you need to go see this right meow.