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Matt Willis |
Super Troopers USA, 2001 [Jay Chandrasekhar] Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske Comedy / Crime |
Some films are just made to be watched while drunk or stoned or both. They have this rare quality about them where the jokes and simple plot come along at just the right pace to be understood and appreciated, and where the mind is too befuddled to accept anything more complicated or scattergun. This is indeed one of those rare gems of a movie, though I was neither drunk nor stoned when I watched it. Maybe one beer... ok, eleven.
Anyway, the first true stab at a movie by the legendary Broken Lizard comedy writing team of Chandra-sekhar, Heffernan, Lemme, Soter and Stolhanske truly is a fantastically funny and well-meaning film, and takes rightful pride of place beside other unappreciated straight-to-video classics such as The Boondock Saints, Ski School 2 and Office Space. Focusing on the world's most jokily inept Highway Patrol officers, it is a story of pranks, drug trafficking, inter-police-organization love, loathing of fellow officers and, to really juice it up, a threatened shut-down of the squad itself. If this sounds at all complex I assure you it isn't. There's nothing to this movie at all, the drug trafficking, and the associated police corruption, seems tacked-on and is barely hinted at throughout the movie, and the threatened shut-down comes as neither a surprise nor much of a hassle to anyone but the stressed-out Highway Patrol chief, bizarrely played by Scottish acting God Brian Cox. But who gives a shit? It's such a lovely, genial movie with the kind of laid-back comedic writing and performing I so dearly love. It's not that the characters are bad at their jobs, it's that they just don't care, and that's what makes it great. From the opening scene, with Chandrasekhar and Stolhanske pulling over three stoners, to the "Stop jumping on the bed!" scene it's literally a joyous ride which will have you laughing at times but smiling throughout. All the principal actors imbue their characters with the right level of personality and freshness, and while nothing really seems to happen it's just funny seeing them face off against their police rivals and pull amusing capers on unsuspecting speeders and other assorted highway lawbreakers. Still, it was unnecessary to see Kevin Heffernan's tiny penis. I will be writing to complain about that. |