FRAY'S 300TH MOVIE REVIEW*
After over 3 years of writing movie reviews I have finally reached my 300th review. Once again I will be reviewing a film by a well-known comedy troupe. To celebrate 100, I wrote about my favorite Monty Python film... and for 200, I wrote about my favorite Marx Brothers film. This time I chose to write about a film that was made during my lifetime...
"Yeah, and his shenanigans are cruel and tragic."
"Which... makes them not really shenanigans at all."
"Evil shenanigans!"
A group of Vermont state troopers spend their days messing with the drivers on their stretch of highway and fighting with the local cops. With budget cuts coming, the state troopers need a big impressive bust and to keep their antics under the radar, until the governor (Lynda Carter) makes a decision about the finances.
When a dead body is found in their section of the highway, it is up to Captain O'Hagan (Cox) and his boys to save the day: the "serious" leader of the squadron Thorny (Chandrasekhar) who everyone thinks is Mexican, the rookie Rabbit (Stolhanske) who is the recipient of many pranks, Mac (Lemme) the uninhibited daredevil who likes to start fights with the police, Foster (Soter) can't grow a mustache and is secretly in a relationship with police officer Ursula (Coughlan), and obnoxious Farva (Heffernan) is on permanent radio duty after an altercation with a school bus. Can they catch the killer and outsmart the local drug lords to keep their jobs?
The first 10 minutes are the best... the film opens with Thorny and Rabbit terrorizing a group of college age stoners and then chasing after a suspicious redneck vehicle. It sets up the film and the relationships between the team. And the ending brings back this sense of fun and mayhem and the same characters. The rest of the film isn't quite as good, but there are standout moments.
This is the breakout hit of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe. The writing, acting, and production is better than their first film Puddle Cruisers. The cast look like they are having fun... especially when they are pulling pranks. Steve Lemme seems to be having the most fun as Mac, the craziest character. You really don't know what he is going to say or do next. Kevin Heffernan, who also directed this film, also gets to go over the top as Farva. The remaining Broken Lizard's do a good job, but can't compete with the crazy. It is funny, but some jokes don't work... I would suggest watching it on TV where they cut out the unnecessary nudity and off color jokes that detract from the joy of this film. Not perfect, but worth a look.
*yes, I already celebrated my 300th post, but this is my 300th movie review.
I have had 10 non-review posts.
Super Troopers (2001) 100 minutes
Rating: R for language, sexual content and drug use.
Director: Kevin Heffernan
Jay Chandrasekhar as Thorny
Kevin Heffernan as Farva
Steve Lemme as Mac
Paul Soter as Foster
Erik Stolhanske as Rabbit
Marisa Coughlan as Ursula
Brian Cox as Captain O'Hagan
Daniel von Bargen as Chief Grady
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