It's been over 15 years since the cult hit Super Troopers hit theaters and became a favorite on college campuses across the nation. Now that a sequel is finally here, will it make as big a splash? If the critics are anything to go by, probably not. Although to be fair, they really didn't care for the first one either. Regardless, while there are some critics who find bright spots worthy of praise, the vast majority of reviews are not particularly kind to the sequel. Our own Conner Schwerdtfeger was one of those critics who, while agreeing that the movie is dumb as hell, still thought it was a good time.
Vulgar, stupid, but still a hell of a lot of fun, Super Troopers 2 is a serviceable sequel that delivers some laughs and nostalgia but not much else.
While the positive reviews like that are few and far between, they are out there. Surprisingly, one of the most positive reviews comes from no less than the New York Times, who says that while the new movie won't surprise anybody, it will make them laugh, and really that's all that matters.
This non-indulger will attest that you don't have to be high to find this long-impending sequel to 2002's Super Troopers very funny indeed.
Many critics, however, are not nearly that kind. Rolling Stone's David Fear points out that the new movie was, in large part, crowdfunded by the biggest fans of the original Super Troopers, and so, as one might expect, it basically exists to give the fans of the first movie another go-round of the exact sort of experience they wanted. If you're not one of those diehard fans, not only does the movie not give you anything, it doesn't even bother trying.
Broken Lizard has given the cult what they wanted, and they owe the rest of us nothing. In that respect, the movie delivers on both counts.
The most brutal response to Super Troopers 2, however, may have come from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, who compares the movie to the Kevin James comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and not in a good way.
Audiences that found Paul Blart: Mall Cop too demanding may relish Super Troopers 2. I'm not sure what other sort of viewer would share the appreciation.
It's probably unsurprising, but the final analysis basically is that if you loved Super Troopers so much that you want to have the experience of watching it for the first time, again, then you'll probably find enough to like about Super Troopers 2. If, however, you're one of the people who never asked for the sequel, then it isn't going to do anything to make you regret that decision.
