Grade: D
Author: Billy Madden
After a 17-year hiatus, Super Troopers makes a questionable return with its sequel, Super Troopers 2. Has the gap birthed anticipation, or is it a case of unnecessary revival? It’s no secret that the original has a cult following, but was that enough to warrant this sequel?
The sequel brings back the original Broken Lizard crew, repositioned amidst a Canada-USA border dispute in their standard law-enforcing roles. The narrative thickens with a drug smuggling ring and political corruption. However, our troopers, not the epitome of intellect, cause more havoc than solutions.
Indeed, Super Troopers 2 provoked some laughs, but they were cheap. The recurrent theme of the USA’s misunderstanding of the metric system, a hilarious gag initially, quickly waned into a tiresome joke.
Unfortunately, the cast addition of Rob Lowe, portraying the corrupt Guy LeFranc, added little value. The performances felt lackluster and uninspired, with exaggerated facial expressions as poor substitutes for well-executed humor.
The humor teetered towards the juvenile and crude, often resorting to explicit nudity for laughs. It didn’t tickle my funny bone, but perhaps it might for others.
Super Troopers 2 could’ve just as well been a standalone feature. It’s certainly not a must-watch in theaters; perhaps wait until it pops up on Netflix?
MOVIE INFO
Fired for their previous shenanigans, former Vermont Highway Patrol officers Thorny, Farva, Rabbit, Foster, and Mac get a shot at redemption from Capt. O’Hagan and Gov. Jessan. The wacky quintet must provide law enforcement for a French Canadian town transitioning to U.S. sovereignty. Their unconventional methods soon get tested when they encounter a smarmy mayor, mischievous Mounties, a smuggling ring, and a 1,300-pound bear.
- Rating: R (Drug Material|Crude Sexual Content|Language Throughout|Some Graphic Nudity)
- Genre: Comedy
- Original Language: English
- Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
- Producer: Richard Perello
- Writer: Broken Lizard
- Release Date (Theaters): Apr 20, 2018 Wide
- Runtime: 1h 43m
- Distributor: Fox Searchlight
- Production Co: Broken Lizard Industries, Cataland Films
- Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)