'Super Troopers 2' Review
If you’re a fan of the 2001 cult stoner comedy “Super Troopers”, about a group of fun-loving Vermont highway patrol officers who constantly play pranks on each other and the public (often while on the job), then you won’t be disappointed with this long-awaited sequel, which brings back the entire cast and delivers plenty of laughs.
In the few “movie years” since the end of the original, Mac, Rabbit, Thorny, Foster and Farva all lost their jobs due to the “Fred Savage incident” – which is a running joke throughout the film – with a great payoff in the closing credits. But when Captain O’Hagan (Brian Cox also returns) invites them on fishing weekend in Canada, they learn they’ve been given their uniforms and badges back.
For two weeks, they’ll be monitoring an area on the Vermont/Canadian border that will soon become U.S. territory. And as you might expect, the majority of the locals aren’t happy with the change. There are plenty of jokes involving the differences between the citizens and cultures of the two neighboring countries – most hit the mark.
In fact, “Super Troopers 2” is consistently funny. The gags and one-liners are sharp and even the physical humor – which I’m not always a fan of – works here. The pace is impressive, with very little downtime, and there’s a refreshing lack of the “raunchy” tone of most of today’s R-rated comedies.
“ST2” has a zany, old-fashioned vibe that complements the original well, and allows the Broken Lizard comedy troop to get away with plenty of non-politically correct humor. I actually watched the first film for the first time just before this sequel (as part of a much-publicized in-theater Double Feature), which allowed me to appreciate all the nods to the original.
Of course, not all the jokes aren’t winners, the plot is very loose and things definitely get a little extreme towards the end. But what makes “Super Troopers 2” work is that it stays true to itself. And it’s got three of the best cameos of 2018.
