Film Review: Super Troopers 2
Written by: Victoria Alexander | April 19th, 2018
SUPER TROOPERS 2
I just laughed once but it was the French-Canadians arguing over Danny DeVito.
On April 25, 2015, Variety reported that The Broken Lizard comedy troupe, using the crowdfunding website, Indiegogo, raised $4.4 million in 30 days for production of SUPER TROOPERS 2. Over 50,000 contributors gave Broken Lizard in excess of their initial goal of $2 million.
The troupe offered many high value perks including “The Best Men” which sold for $20,000. “The Best Men” pitch was: “All five members of Broken Lizard will attend your wedding and act as your groomsmen (or bridesmaids). We’ll even bring you a gift.”
It’s been 14 years after the original SUPER TROOPERS was released. Until reading this notice in Variety, I was sure that Broken Lizard had damaging sex tape evidence that would wipe out Hollywood fortunes unless a sequel was made. After seeing the movie, I was also quite confident that no script was written, making my first theory entirely plausible.
All five members from the original SUPER TROOPERS are back. The director and star, Jay Chandrasekhar, hasn’t learned a thing about filmmaking in the years that have passed by. SUPER TROOPERS 2 proves, beyond any doubt, that none of the Broken Lizard troupe even goes to movies.
Broken Lizard should have done a horror movie instead of retreading the French-Canadians versus the Americans plot. I never missed any of them and even back in 2001 was worried they would have lasting film careers. I wonder what Broken Lizard has been doing. Once again, these beloved-in-their-own-
The Troopers got fired because of Savage’s demise but are still together. That’s horror movie creepy right there! Captain John O’Hagen (Brian Cox) brings the team back as patrolmen for a dead-end part of the Canadian border that will soon be annexed to the United States. The guys are taking the jobs of 3 French-Canadians, who are being moved to an even more remote part of Canada. Not only are the French-Canadians Troopers mad, all the townspeople hate Americans and want the new guys to leave.
There is some drug smuggling afoot but that never gets resolved. Its left unresolved only because it would involve hiring more actors and require some writing. So they just use the drugs as a device to “get high on the found supply.” As far as the “R” rating goes, there is one token topless lady and playful tugging on a guy’s flacid penis.
With DEADPOOL 2 opening soon, Broken Lizard is going to have to get help making a real “R” out of SUPER TROOPERS 3. Yes, it did take awhile, but the Broken Lizards do indeed now have a franchise – as long as they all work for scale.
Trooper Carl Foster (Paul Soter) has an innocent high school romance with a Canadian officer, Genevieve (Emmanuelle Chriqui). None of these guys can act. Soter and Stolhanske are most uncomfortable on film. Chandrasekhar, the director and ringleader, is generous with his cast. Everyone gets their moment.
I laughed only once when the French-Canadians were arguing over Danny Di Vito. It must have been improv.
These guys are way too old to be playing idiots. Kevin Heffernan (as Rodney Farva) was the most annoying. Why was Heffernan and Chriqui always chewing gum? And the “cameos – Lynda Carter, Sean William Scott, Marlon Wayans, Jr., Jim Gaffigan and Fred Savage only make ST2 not funny, but sort of sad. Rob Lowe’s participation is understood, but Brian Cox? Did he take the part so he could sing karaoke?
It is astonishing that with the amount of money Broken Lizard raised from fans, they did not bother writing a script. They had $2 million for a screenwriter. Or, did the fact that 50,000 theater tickets were guaranteed mean “Why bother with a script? Let’s start casting for the girl part.”
I don’t know how many people, outside of the 50,000 who gave money, remember SUPER TROOPERS from fourteen years ago. All I remember is I didn’t laugh once then. Does Broken Lizard really have a following? Are we going to see them at next year’s Golden Globes? Are they here to stay or can they promise not to turn up again until 2032?
Victoria Alexander
Member of Las Vegas Film Critics Society: www.lvfcs.org/. Victoria Alexander lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and answers every email at victoria.alexander.lv@gmail.com. For a complete list of Victoria Alexander's movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes go to: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/victoria-alexander/movies. Victoria Alexander contributes to Films in Review (http://www.filmsinreview.com), Film Festival Today (http://filmfestivaltoday.com) and Las Vegas Informer (LVInformer.com).