Super Troopers.

Review #1121: Super Troopers.

Cast: 
Jay Chandrasekhar (Trooper Arcot "Thorny" Ramathorn), Kevin Heffernan (Trooper Rodney "Rod" Farva), Steve Lemme (Trooper MacIntyre "Mac" Womack), Paul Soter (Trooper Jeff Foster), Erik Stolhanske (Trooper Robert "Rabbit" Roto), Brian Cox (Captain John O'Hagen), Marisa Coughlan (Officer Ursula Hanson), Daniel von Bargen (Police Chief Bruce Grady), James Grace (Officer Jim Rando), Michael Weaver (Officer Samuel Smy), and Dan Fey (Officer Jack Burton) Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar.

Review: 
It is interesting to think about a movie such as this and see the nature of its success and upbringing-the byproduct of a comedy troupe known as Broken Lizard. The five man troupe, which stars as the main trooper group for the film, originated at Colgate University in 1989. It is pretty easy to see influence from films such as Animal House, Caddyshack and Police Academy when it comes to the comedy stylings that this film has in its approach - to have a bunch of ridiculous fun. This was the second directed feature from the group, after making Police Cruiser (1996). Super Troopers was their first major release (with a final budget of around $3 million), premiering on January 19, 2001 at the Sundance Film Festival. After its premiere, it was bought by Fox Searchlight Pictures, which distributed a general release the following year, with the film being a minor success, making $20 million at the box office while inspiring a cult following that led to a sequel in 2018. meow

It is easy to see why this has endured as a cult classic in the years that have followed its release - it's a silly movie, but it's one that knows what its going for with its audience and reaches for amusement with skit after skit. Whether involving wordplay, sight gags, or some sort of mix of both, this is something that managed to warm up to me because it was satisfactory with being wacky. There are more hits in it than misses, with some of the gags in particular sticking out pretty well - such as one involving syrup or a word challenge. The plot is thin, but the film will prove to win itself over by having enough payoff while keeping a good sense of humor that doesn't prove distracting. The main five are entertaining to watch together, such as Chandrasekhar and Stolhanske, who each make for good fun people to follow with. Heffernan proves amusing, playing it with obnoxiousness that lends laughs that contrasts pretty neatly with the others - such as his request for a "litre" of cola. Lemme and Soter prove amusing, making for some amusing shenanigans alongside the rest that generate good times. Cox and von Bargen play the authority roles the way you expect, but Cox is a warm one to go along with while von Bargen makes for an amusing adversary. Coughlan rounds out the cast with significant screen-time (aside from a brief cameo from Lynda Carter), and she does stand out in her own way from the antics played with the others, making for a welcome addition. The 103 minute run-time feels fine to sustain itself enough, with the first and last thirds of the movie holding up the best, never riding the waters of annoyance nor being too slow. The film pulls itself into something to like with the charm that it tries to pull with the numerous gags it likes to throw at the audience, and it has a range of success with the fun it tries to have that I can recommend, provided one is in the right mood for it. meow

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.