Super Troopers 2

The French-Canadian comedy of the year is finally here! Picking up where the misadventures of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe left off in 2001’s “Super Troopers,” the five Vermont highway patrolmen are once again breaking the law for the sake of laughs, while protecting and serving the stoner crowd with sharp humor and witty repartee. the original has developed a strong cult following over the years with their unique brand of improvisational whimsy and refreshing originality. Much like “The Kids in the Hall” or “Monty Python,” the film thrives on the energy of the ensemble and their inside jokes that the viewer somehow feels privy to.

Nearly 20 years after the original film (has it really been that long?), we find the five former cops still getting together to engage in lewd behavior. This time however, they have all moved on from law enforcement due to what is vaguely referenced as “the Fred Savage incident.” It’s alright though as none of them really took the law very seriously in the first place. They are fun-loving guys more interested in pulling pranks than fighting crime. This time around, they are recruited for a special job as the Vermont/Canadian border is in dispute, and it’s time to bring some good, old-fashioned America to our neighbors to the north.

Directed by the leader of the troupe, Jay Chandrasekhar, the film is basically a rehashing of the original with one very noticeable difference (more of that to come). It’s fascinating to see how little the men have changed since 2001, and honestly, it made me feel pretty old while rekindling some serious nostalgia. There are more references to jokes in the original than I could count, it almost seemed like an homage to its predecessor at times. It may have been a cult classic, but it wasn’t that good. Additionally, the cameos increased significantly. From Seann William Scott, to Rob Lowe, and yes, Fred Savage. Fans of the original came out of the woodwork to contribute, and it absolutely added fuel to the good-time vibe.

Same shenanigans, new chicanery. The show is stolen by the trio of Canadian Mounties, played by Hayes MacArthur, Will Sasso, and Tyler Labine. Every scene they are in is an exaggeration of stereotypes and accents, but admittedly, it is completely hilarious and justifies a viewing for this aspect alone. The one thing that threw me off was thinking that Hayes MacArthur was a well-disguised Johnny Knoxville through the whole movie, and I suppose that made the whole experience even richer.

Some might say Rob Lowe is the highlight, and although it is funny seeing him play a brothel-owning, former semi-pro-hockey-player-turned mayor of a small Canadian town, and seeing him use a dangling male genitalia as a speedbag is a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience, he’s been better (“Parks and Rec”). That said, his addition is a nice touch.

There is a clear emphasis placed on the antagonist of the group, the ostracized and oft-maligned officer Rod Farva (Kevin Heffernan). He is pure, unfiltered, inappropriate, juvenile humor, and I for one found it delightful. He epitomizes what the troupe intends to deliver at its most extreme and although all five men contribute different strengths, Heffernan is the catalyst of the comedy.

Stay through the credits to find out about the infamous “Fred Savage incident” that cost them their jobs, and I guarantee if you enjoyed the original, you will have a good time with the sequel. I think expectations for comedy follow-ups are held to a slightly lower standard than other genres, so for that I will give it a stronger recommendation than I might otherwise. It’s rude, quirky, but all in good fun, meow. For a raunchy comedy, it delivers like chips in poutine. 7/10.