I was a freshman in high school when Super Troopers first hit theaters, and perhaps that is why it’s practically embedded into my soul, but I’d like to think it goes deeper than that.
After all, if you didn’t know by know, I’m pretty honest when it comes to assessing and reassessing films, so I’d tell you if it didn’t hold up, but it does hold up. In fact, at this point, I’d say it’s nearly timeless.
Needless to say, I was pretty excited back in March of 2015 when Broken Lizard announced that not only was the ball finally rolling on a sequel, but they were going to do it strictly on their own terms (not that they really had a choice, but that’s a whole other story).
And yes, I know some of you will say, “But don’t you hate the I KNOW WHAT THAT IS-ificaion of 21st Century Hollywood?” which I most certainly do, but given that Super Troopers 2 is a low-budget comedy financed by the fans and not some studio cash-grab, I don’t think it qualifies for that particular kind of scrutiny.
Anyway, as I said, the original Super Troopers is ingrained in me. It’s one of those movies I could put on repeat and watch over and over again without tiring.
One reason why I love it so much is that it was this little movie made by a group of old college friends (Colgate; ever heard of it?) that punched way above its weight class, and, yes, it’s funny and clever, but it’s also very well constructed (dare I say, nearly as well-constructed as Ghost Busters). The script is tight, the pacing is as good as you’ll find, the jokes are well-timed, and, as zany as everything is as a whole, it somehow still feels relatively grounded.
By contrast, Super Troopers 2, to its detriment, is immediately more heightened than its predecessor. I was honestly so taken out of the movie from the beginning that by the time I finally started warming up to it, the nostalgia sheen was almost completely faded, which is a shame. This is not to say that the sequel is completely without merit (the end credits at least left me with a good aftertaste). I bet if I ever watch it again someday there’ll be some things that really make me laugh again, but, for a first impression, I was fairly let down (though not as much as SPECTRE).
So, yeah, not much else I can say. If you’ve never seen the original Super Troopers, it’s one of the best R-rated comedies of the 2000s (Non-Wright/Pegg/Frost Division) and you should probably get around to seeing it. If you’re already a fan, seeing the sequel won’t hurt, just don’t expect it to blow your mind.
Ratings:
Super Troopers: ★★★★½
Super Troopers 2: ★★★☆☆
P.S.
Even though I liked but didn’t love it, I still appreciate Jay, Kevin, Steve, Paul, and Erik for signing posters for all of us hardcores willing to watch a double feature at 4:20 on a Thursday afternoon. Thanks, guys!
