“Super Troopers” (USA 2001) ***
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
Due to budget cuts, the Vermont State Troopers (comprising 5 over-enthusiastic oddballs and one over-serious but supportive captain) are to be shut down. The local cops, with whom the troopers have been feuding with, are obviously pleased. Both groups are involved in the investigation with some drug bust/murder.
The troopers have to prove themselves or become history. This pretty sums up the slim plot line which is basically an excuse for a series of silly and some really stupid set pieces. Some are crude, no doubt cashing in on the success of the ‘Police Academy’ series, but a handful are genuinely funny.
The 5 troopers are actually part of a comedy group called Broken Lizard (Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolkanske). Surprisingly, the best laughs come from straight man, Scots character actor Brian Cox, “Rob Roy”, “Braveheart”, the original Hannibal Lector in “Manhunter”) playing the Captain and the three acting as stoned college kids at the start and end of the movie.
If chugging syrup, humping grizzlies, spitting in hamburgers or Afghanistan animation is not your brand of humour, avoid “Super Troopers”. But there is a certain charm in all this silliness and the film is actually quite hilarious if you keep yourself in an infantile state of mind.
