Super Troopers 2 Review

If this past weekend was any indication, it was that a lot of people doubted that Super Troopers 2 would even make much considering it's competitors. Still, making it into the top 5 for its first weekend is a resounding success, especially for its three long years of crowdfunding and getting the thing filmed. I had a chance to watch this in the theater and here is where I stand on it.

Overall, it's a very funny film that holds it's own. At the very least, it's about on par with the original, but in its own way. So what happened? All five troopers had an incident involving Fred Savage and got kicked off the force. They lead normal lives with regular jobs. That is until the Vermont governor, once again a cameo from Lynda Carter, gives them a chance at redemption. Due to immigration issues, there is question on the border between Canada and the United States. One of those towns is on American soil, and she gives the group another shot. Along with Captain O'Hagan, the troopers set up shop despite hatred from the town.

With most comedy sequels, a reason they are criticized is for re-hashing the story and using mostly the same gags and jokes. Super Troopers 2 manages to avoid that, though some of the timeless bits from the original come into form here. There is a lot more freedom for the characters since they are not worried about a station shutdown. They let them loose and it provides for a number of very humorous moments and get a chance to see Canadian culture. Speaking of which, it doesn't get overwhelmed with the hatred between Canada and the United States.

There isn't too many complaints I have with the film. It has a decent run time. There is enough screen time for the major characters involved. It is a little slow in the middle, but not for long. Other than that, it's a wild ride that will have you laughing out loud a lot. If you can find a theater that is showing this, get your chance to see it.

Score: 8 out of 10

Super Troopers 2's Ultimate Test

We are not too far from the crowdfunded Super Troopers 2 hitting theaters as it releases Friday, April 20th. As their promotional tour wraps up, Broken Lizard hopes it achieves any sort of big success from this. That, however, is their biggest test. Will it do anything in its first weekend? If so, it better make the best of it before yet another brain dead Marvel popcorn flick comes out on the 27th.

When the original came out in February 2002, it was not a huge hit. Still, it made some money considering the starting dominance of DVD. Broken Lizard has had more of a cult fanbase and Super Troopers remains one of the bigger comedies of the 2000s due to its approach to humor, characters, and quotable lines. With that fanbase in mind, it's time to put up or shut up. Just the idea of doing another one was deemed impossible at one point. Three plus years of trying to get it done and they have succeeded.

With crowdfunding, there hasn't been too many movies through this kind of system. Most notables for theatrical releases are Veronica Mars and Wish I Was Here. Super Troopers 2 should be able to get past the hurdles those two had for a few reasons. One is that it's something people have been begging for in the last decade. Two is that Broken Lizard has made a name for themselves and have appeared all over the United States through stand up along with a few other films. They are a draw compared to the other two examples of crowdfunding and the notoriety helps their case a lot more.

The kid gloves are off for this one. It's just of matter of who will actually see it in theaters.