Exiting the cinema having watched Super Troopers 2, I was stuck with a dilemma. How to describe a movie that’s so woefully bad, it should never have been made? Honestly, I can’t recall having seen the original from 2001. Perhaps if I had, I may have known to stay away from any sequel, no matter how long after the event it was made.
What you should know is that the writers of this movie (known collectively as Broken Lizard) are also the key actors in it. Broken Lizard member Jay Chandrasekhar directs.
They play Vermont Highway Patrol officers Thorny (Chandrasekhar), Farva (Kevin Heffernan), Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske), Foster (Paul Soter) and Mac (Steve Lemme). Fired for their previous shenanigans, they re-unite when Captain O’Hagan (Brian Cox) and Governor Jessman (Lynda Carter) give them a shot at redemption. Their assignment: to take over law enforcement in a Canadian town transitioning to U.S. sovereignty due to a recently discovered screw-up in border markings. The Quebec town’s mayor, Guy Le Franc (Rob Lowe), is an ex-hockey player. He tries to charm the Yankee interlopers at his hockey-themed brothel. Meanwhile local Canadian Mounties (Will Sasso, Tyler Labine, and Hayes MacArthur) prank the Americans with a little help from a bear. As they try to overcome their inability to understand the metric system, the Super Troopers eventually uncover a smuggling ring, take revenge on the Mounties and wreak havoc on the good citizens of Canada.
Filmed on a shoestring budget, the first Super Troopers movie made $23 million at the box office. In the following years, it gained a devout fan base through DVD and repeats on Comedy Central. An NPR radio report about US-Canada border disputes apparently inspired this sequel.
The only thing I found remotely amusing about Super Troopers 2 was in the blooper reel in the final credits. Other than that, this is sheer cringe from start to finish. I can only think a group of young drunk guys might perhaps snigger at this they get caught up in all the stupidity. Physical violence, verbal slagging and sexual humour are the stock-in-trade. It’s puerile material with a plot so thin, it shouldn’t even rate a mention.
I wanted to walk out many times. I didn’t, but upon reflection perhaps I should have. If cinematic satisfaction is what you’re searching for, look elsewhere.
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Cast:Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Rob Lowe, Brian Cox
Release Date: 19 April 2018
Rating: MA 15+
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Ideal Home – movie review
- Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation – movie review
- Strange But True – movie review
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
