Silly, bumbling cops are not a new concept in cinema. In the early 1900s we had the Keystone Kops, while during the '80s we had the Police Academy series. There's just something about watching a group of people goof around in what in reality is a very serious and dangerous profession. In 2001, comedy troupe Broken Lizard threw their hat into the wacky cops genre with Super Troopers, their first major film. And boy, is it funny.
Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar), Foster (Paul Soter), Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske), Mac (Steve Lemme), and Farva (Kevin Heffernan) are Vermont highway state troopers who spend their days playing pranks on each other and on the hapless folks they pull over. These include covering newbie Rabbit in shaving cream and stuffing him in a locker, and betting that one can say meow ten times with a straight face to a driver (e.g., "All right meow, hand over your license and registration"). In between these bouts of silliness, the troopers get in fights with their rivals, the local police department.
The troopers' fun is disrupted when the county threatens to cut their funding. As their surly boss Captain O'Hagen (Brian Cox) struggles to keep his boys in line, a murder mystery and a drug bust drop in their laps, providing them the opportunity to prove themselves as real cops. However, the local police want nothing better than to see them shut down, and will do what it takes to do so.
It comes as no surprise that Super Troopers has no character development, a story ripped from the Police Academy playbook, and a few plot holes—but who cares? It is one hell of a funny movie. You'll laugh often and hard throughout. The opening sequence is especially brilliant as Thorn, Rabbit, and Mac mess around with a group of stoned college guys. Yes, much of the humor overall is juvenile and silly, but you'll find yourself catching your breath in between bouts of laughter. What's also great about Super Troopers is the chemistry among the actors. Since the members of Broken Lizard are friends in real life, that friendship extends to their characters in the movie, much like the members of the Frat Pack.
The DVD offers the usual extra fare: deleted scenes, outtakes, and extended scenes. In addition, an alternate ending is included. Unlike the original ending, which was drawn out and predictable, the alternate ending is much shorter and funnier. It's too bad they didn't use that one instead.
If you're in the mood to watch a group of law enforcement officers challenge each other to a maple syrup drinking contest and other shenanigans, check out Super Troopers, and get ready to laugh until tears stream down your face. Go to your local video store and rent it right meow!
Title: Supertroopers
Year: 2001
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Starring Cast: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske
Rated: R
Article comments
1 - T. Rigney
Broken Lizard has yet to top this film. Club Dread came close, but was ultimately too familiar to be anything other than forgettable. Bill Paxton is great, however.
2 - Kaonashi
T. Rigney- I haven't seen Club Dread, but I recently watched Beerfest, and it wasn't nearly as good as Super Troopers (which I'll be reviewing sometime soon). I hope that the upcoming Super Troopers II brings back the magic from this movie.
3 - Lisa McKay
Congratulations! This article has been selected for syndication to Boston.com, where it will be enjoyed by even more readers.
4 - Kaonashi
Cool! Thank you.
5 - Rob
It was entertaining, but I wasn't laughing as hard as all of the hype led me to believe I would be. This film certainly has a huge cult following though. I hear people quoting lines from the film or playing the meow game all of the time. Maybe I shouldn't have been sober when I watched it. I'll smoke a few and watch it again.
6 - Kaonashi
Rob- I was perfectly sober when I watched "Super Troopers" and I still laughed heartily at most of the jokes. As I mentioned, many of the jokes are silly and juvenile, but if you accept that from the beginning, I think you'd enjoy the movie more.