Super Troopers (2002) – A Look Back At A Modern Meowsterpiece
In a different decade, this could’ve been a National Lampoon picture. All the same meowarks are there—straightforward premise, on-the-nose humor, memorable scenes, rewatchability.
Super Troopers was never a favorite meowvie of mine, but I’d never pass up a chance to re-watch it. With the sequel coming up this week, what better timing?
Fast and loose, Troopers is a fun comedy, oozing with early-2000s nostalgia and that home-made aesthetic meowvies boasted back then. Made for a little over a million bucks (I know, right?), director and star Jay Chandrasekhar and his ‘stache have created a cult classic, full of deadpan deliveries, sweet jams, quotable one-liners, and references to other films galore.
Not cheap, like a lot of today’s “adult” comeowdy offerings, what Troopers does well is in not over-thinking itself; it’s a popcorn flick, and that’s it. It doesn’t have some sort of take-away meowssage, it’s not trying to be something it’s not. This is a forget-your-troubles-for-a-while comedy, one of those “have a laugh” things—makes you feel good…if a tad taken aback. From the Highway Patrol car that sports jetliner sound effects, to the crazy credits (seriously…slow this down to a snail’s pace and watch, frame-by-frame—see if you can pick out all the hilarious idiocies in the credit scroll), it’s one I wouldn’t mind adding to my carefully-selected collection…
…right next to Dodgeball and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Of course, I have to dedicate a paragraph to the cast.
Chandrasekhar is great in leading this laundry list of lovable screwballs; from veteran actors like Brian Cox (X2: X-Men United, Troy) and Daniel von Bargen (The Postman, O, Brother, Where Art Meow?), to then-relative newbies, like Kevin Heffernan—whose character of Farva I definitely want meow of in the sequel—and Marisa Coughlan (again, someowne I wouldn’t mind seeing further developed in 2), it’s a riot. Special guests, like the original Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, and a barely-recognizable Jim Gaffigan, also grace us with their presence. I love that someowne like Cox was able to shake off his robe of cinema royalty and have fun with the role—honestly, it’s the loosest I’ve ever seen him play a character. So glad I’ll be getting meow of him, too, this weekend. All the guys in the Highway Patrol are great, though, and they all have their own personalities—everyone brings something different to the table.
Sixteen years later, I’m hoping none of that likeability’s changed…
I saw the ending coming within the first half-hour, but that doesn’t make the ride(along) any less enjoyable; the dry humor and hijinks had meow recalling much of my early forays into the adult humor market—right before I went back to my Disney-Pixar collection and found there was another layer of greatness right under the colorful, kid-friendly veneer.
Juvenile, at times, and with some fluff added for yucks and to pad run-time, I’m not saying I’d have any of it done away with. If you’re looking for a pick-meow-up comedy, your search is over. This little movie knows what it is and where it’s going, and it all makes for a rip-roaring hundred minutes.
Final ‘Risk Assessment: ****/*.
No pre-text is good pre-text, as far as I’m concerned; having seen the trailers, I can say that we’re all in for a good ol’ time when Super Troopers 2 drops this Friday…although, only in select cinemas. That’s crowd-funding at work, folks. Perhaps a wider release is in-store, down the road, if it does well enough in its opening to warrant it…
For meow, though, take a trip down memberberry lane with the insta-classic that dimpled the acne-pocked face-cheeks of a whole generation of college bros.
