The 400-Word Review: Super Troopers 2
By Sean Collier
April 30, 2018
BoxOfficeProphets.com
At once straining and proving the adage “better late than never,” Super Troopers 2 arrives as a nostalgia-trip sequel to the 2002 cult favorite. The original comedy, from the collegiate sketch group turned occasional filmmakers Broken Lizard, was a champion of home viewing; in theaters, it failed to crack the $20 million mark. (Lest you claim inflation, I would point out that it failed to rank even among that year’s 100 top earners.)
As such, there was little commercial demand for another installment (a sad state made worse by the failure of the other Broken Lizard films to do any better at the box office). Fan demand and familiarity are powerful forces, however, and an IndieGogo campaign to finance the film raised more than $4 million.
The results are ... well, they’re fine. If you’re a fan of the original, rest assured that everything you loved about the film is back — sometimes absurdly so, with bits and punchlines repeated. (Sometimes this is called out as pandering by the script; other times, it’s not.) If you’re not a fan of the original, there’s nothing here to hook you anew; while I would argue that Super Troopers 2 actually maintains its comedy a bit more consistently than the original, it is far from a must-see.
What it is is a fairly successful, never outstanding collection of sketches knitted together by another loose Keystone Kops plot: The boys of the Vermont Highway Patrol are transferred just north of the border, where a slice of Canada is set to be added to U.S. territory. As with the original, the best bits are prank-style riffs at traffic stops; also as with the original, the worst bits involve assorted gay panic and Men-Are-From-Mars gender yuks.
You want to root for the plucky comedy team, even as the film drags on — there is no reason for anyone to care about the plot, and they misfired by playing the third act relatively straight — and some of the guest stars, notably Will Sasso and Rob Lowe, add to the laughs. It’s funny enough, though inconsistent; it’s amiably and mostly harmless.
In conclusion, ¯\_(?)_/¯.
My Rating: 6/10
Sean Collier is the Associate Editor of Pittsburgh Magazine and a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Read more from Sean at pittsburghmagazine.com/afterdark