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Super Troopers 2002 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
R, 103 min. (language, sexual content, drug use) |
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Starring: Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, Kevin Keffernan, Paul Soter, Marisa Coughlan, Brian Cox, Daniel Von Bargen
Producer: Richard Perello
Screenplay: Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, Kevin Keffernan, Paul Soter
Cinematography: Joaquin Baca-Asay
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Released: 2.15.02 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Super Troopers is the type of comedy you want to like, but simply can't because of some breakdowns in the areas
of plotting and pacing. The strategy - to present a group of slapstick cops ala "Police Academy" as fanatical cut-ups that
stretch every opportunity into a game of "who can be the funniest" - is poorly conceived. There are some humorous moments
to be sure, but they are quickly undercut by the constant urge to move on to the next skit in the production. Broken Lizard,
which made their fame through live stage productions in the 90's, doesn't translate very well onto the big screen, and as
result makes a bad impression on those who are unfamiliar with their work. The film clearly shows that, scene by scene,
it can be funny; however, when taken as one seemless storyline, it's ineffective and tiresome.
Broken Lizard (Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske) plays a group of
Vermont highway patrolmen who take their job about as seriously as their incessant pranks. The highway patrolmen,
led by Capt. O'Hagan (Brian Cox), are rivals of the local city police, led by Chief Grady (Daniel von Bargen). Funding for
the highway patrol has been threatened by the governor, much to the delight of Grady. Between various outrageous
jokes, the patrolmen realize they must produce some real crime-fighting results or else lose their jobs. When they stumble
upon a drug smuggling operation, a competition between the two rivals ensues - and to the winner go the spoils in the
form of the governor's personal approval.
The film's best moments occur early in the film, especially its opening scene where the patrolmen stop a bunch of teenagers
with marijuana in the car. The two cops first pull them over, then drive off (which sparks a celebration by the kids), and
then finally reappear behind them and take them in. Their conversations usually consist of confusing the offending party
with such lines as Question: "Do you know how fast you were going?" Answer: "About 65 mph" Response: "No, 63". The problem
becomes evident later when the film simply rehashes previous or similar material in the same manner. Humor needs a
change-up every now and then to be consistently funny, and Super Troopers lacks this important quality. By the last few
scenes, the story has become predictable and boring - a sure sign that its strategy has failed.
There's really no reason to see this film, except if you're a big fan of Broken Lizard or just want to see some over-the-top
humor. Director Jay Chandrasekhar, who also stars in the film, seems competent when it comes to individual skits within
the storyline, but his background as a troupe leader is clearly the reason for its choppy and incoherent feel. I'd probably
recommend seeing Broken Lizard in person if you have the opportunity, but as far as their success in the film industry is
concerned, it's a sketch that needs a lot of work.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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