This is a fair warning to anyone who has never watched one of the films made by comedy troupe “Broken Lizard.”
“Broken Lizard” is known for their crude, and often over-the-top style of comedy, which can turn away some movie-goers. They are the same film makers who have produced movies such as “Beerfest,” “Club Dread,” and “The Smoking Salmon,” just to name a few.
If you enjoy wholesome movies, those the whole family can appreciate, let this be a warning before watching any Broken Lizard films.
With the aforementioned warning out of the way, “Super Troopers 2,” which hit the theaters on April 20, is the direct sequel to 2001’s “Super Troopers.” The movies follow a group of misfit Vermont Highway Patrolmen who are anything but your typical officers of the peace.
The opening scene doesn’t hold back. The film embraces the absurd. After a short but quirky appearance by Seann William Scott and Damon Wayans Jr., the movie dives into the story.
After the wild opening is revealed to be a daydream of one of the cast members, the now-fired group of ex-patrolmen are found working a mundane construction job in Vermont. While their professions have changed, their attitudes and work ethic remain the same.
As the movie progresses, it is revealed that the patrolmen lost their jobs due to the mysterious “Fred Savage Incident.” While this incident is not explained until the mid-scene credits, there are a few well-placed references to the prequel while setting up the story for the remaining of the film.
Their former captain sets up a secret fishing meeting in Canada for the group. They are soon told they will be given temporary jobs as Vermont Highway Patrolmen in a newly-acquired piece of land that was previously Canadian soil.
The formerly disgraced patrolmen are happy to return to their duties, while the locals of the newly “Americanized” area are anything but ecstatic about their new public servants.
The animosity between the local townspeople, including the now displaced Mounties, and Vermont Patrolmen set up some pretty hilarious moments. The movie does well to play with the pseudo-rivalry that exists between Americans and Canadians. While some could find some of the jokes flat, for the most part, the comedy that comes from this rivalry is genuinely rib-tickling.
Rob Lowe’s Guy Le Franc, a former hockey player and the current mayor of the ex-Canadian town, is a huge asset to the film. While he plays a lighter role in the first and second act, he becomes the main player in the film’s third act, all the while supplying laughs and pushing the plot forward.
The hijinks from the first film are alive and well in the sequel. The actors do a good job at not over-selling the rehashed jokes. In some cases, they expertly mix the film’s new plot with some of the running jokes from the prequel, while not overstaying their welcome.
The bulk of the film deals with the animosity between the Americans and Canadians, and in typical “Super Trooper” fashion, they are quixotically placed into a massive drug ring. The less-than-ideal group of officers are tasked with foiling the drug ring, but not before the officers partake in some of the narcotics they began seizing.
The film’s third act has the once rivals, of the Mounties and the Vermont Patrolmen, teaming together to tackle the town’s drug ring. The climax of the film is the standoff at a sawmill where the drug ring is busted.
After the bust, it is revealed that the newly-acquired American land will now stay part of Canada, which leads to a prompt and well-placed slew of insults and eventual brawling between the two police departments.
While it may not produce such a following as the first film, and some movie-goers may be put off by the style of comedy, I highly recommend going to see the film. The sequel is full of the crude humor that made the prequel into the cult classic that is today.
I would rate “Super Troopers 2,” eight out of 10.
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