It has been 18 years since the release of the original Super Troopers, a cult comedy about an eccentric group of Vermont highway patrolmen and their bizarre antics. After many years and a successful IndieGoGo campaign, the Broken Lizard comedy troupe have returned for a follow-up that details the further adventures of these officers. While the events may still speak to fans, for the uninitiated this sequel is a rough ride that elicits few of the necessary laughs to earn a recommendation.
After being removed from service following a disastrous incident some time ago, the title characters have moved on to other pursuits. However, they’re called back to duty when a local governor (Linda Carter) discovers that the US/Canada border has been incorrectly designated. The Highway Patrolmen are tasked with policing the new state area, which happens to include a French-Canadian town filled with citizens now angry to have been annexed by the USA. While trying to befriend the town’s mayor (Rob Lowe) and locals, they uncover a strange smuggling operation involving pills, Cuban cigars and other illegal goods.
Essentially, the story involves these buddies playing dumb pranks on each other and getting into altercations with the citizens and Mounted police. This type of humor may have worked well enough when starring a group of 30-ish comedians, but it doesn’t play nearly as effectively when the stars are essentially at their mid-century mark. Certain characters deliver horrible puns that would make a grade-schooler groan. There are even references from others in the film about how awful the jokes are, but that doesn’t make any of the lines or behavior funny. The juvenile insults and slapstick gags (like knocking over a port-o-potty) are all the more surreal to watch.
There are stereotypes galore on display as well. Yes, the intent may have been crude but lighthearted humor. And one is certain that the film itself was shot a year ago, but many of the gags come across as ill-timed. Trooper Arcot Ramathorn (Jay Chandrasekhar) finds himself popping hormone pills and is made fun of for his emotional outbursts and feminine behavior. There’s an unfortunate Stephen Hawking insult as well. And even the central story of American forces moving into a foreign country and “saving it” with their extreme methods doesn’t play as well in today’s climate. Additionally, the incredibly broad characterizations do little to help matters.
Every once in a while something amusing does occur, but these moments are fleeting. A French-Canadian Mountie (Will Sasso) does have a funny scene riffing with other officers about the films of Danny DeVito. The discussion has nothing to do with anything in the actual plotline, but it does earn a smile. And there are a couple of sporadic comments or sight gags that bring moments of levity here and there. However, this reviewer probably chuckled a half dozen times in total over the entire running time.
Watching this movie is almost like taking a time warp back to the early 80s. Some of this material may have earned laughs back then and even modern viewers might forgive some of the off-color material due to attitudes having changed. In this new film, the jokes feel awkward, unfunny and already out-of-touch. Politically incorrect humor can certainly elicit big cackles, but it has to be clever and delivered with expert timing. Super Troopers 2 is incredibly clumsy in its execution, with its pranks dropped on the heads of audience members with the subtlety and deftness of a bag of hammers.