In 2002 (well, technically 2001) the Broken Lizard comedy team of Jay Chandrasekhar, Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter, Steve Lemme, and Kevin Heffernan released what would become a cult favorite stoner comedy called SUPER TROOPERS, also opening the doors for them to make other Broken Lizard productions that would hit theaters in the years to come, including CLUB DREAD, BEERFEST and SLAMMIN’ SALMON. After fans begging for it, and a highly successful Indiegogo campaign, we’re finally getting SUPER TROOPERS 2, being released ever-so-appropriately on 4/20 this year. Brian Cox is back from the first movie, along with Jim Gaffigan, and the supporting cast includes Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rob Lowe, Lynda Carter, Tyler Labine, Marisa Coughlan, Will Sasso, Hayes MacArthur, and Bruce McCulloch. Is this comedy sequel worth the lengthy wait? Honestly, yeah, it kinda is.
As the film opens, we learn our five intrepid heroes Mac, Thorny, Foster, Rabbit and Farva are no longer cops, and have all moved on to other things. When Governor Jessman (Lynda Carter) informs Captain O’Hagan (Brian Cox) there’s a border dispute between Vermont and Canada, and a section of Canada is now becoming rightfully U.S. soil, she instructs him to put a law enforcement team together to oversee the process… and of course, he’s got the guys already, so the reunion is quickly validated. Along the way they meet a questionable government official (Rob Lowe), his attractive and friendly aide (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and a trio of Canadian mounties (Hayes MacArthur, Tyler Labine and Will Sasso), all of which make their job more challenging than expected.
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, SUPER TROOPERS 2 smartly doesn’t try to eclipse the original or go too over the top with its proceedings, it just tells another story with the same guys we fell in love with the first time. There are a few call backs to jokes in the previous outing, but this is by no means a remake or a retread. It does stand to reason that you’ll probably appreciate it more if you’re familiar with the first film, but it’s told in such a way to where that’s not completely essential. One thing I think you could say this sequel does better than the original is the comedy, in that the chemistry between the leads is stronger thanks to 17 years of practice, and the timing of the jokes is impeccable and intensely effective. I laughed more in the first 30 minutes of this film than the entire length of the original, which isn’t to say the first one isn’t funny, just that this one is more funny by comparison. Some of those laughs may help cover a few narrative plot holes, but any shortcomings are forgivable thanks to the overall presentation.
What struck me the most when watching this outing was how good the guys still look. Almost two decades after the first film, this sequel doesn’t suffer by having the actors appear noticeably older and out of shape. In fact, Chandrasekhar, who shows up at the beginning without a shirt on, looks like he’s in the top physical condition of his life. Heffernan looks exactly the same, as does Lemme, and Stolhanske and Soter barely show any wrinkles. The point is these guys have held up well, and it helps make the long-delayed follow-up seem that much tighter with its predecessor. One thing I’ve noticed in a lot of Broken Lizard productions is that is seems there’s always one actor that steals the scene, really shines when they’re on screen and ends up being one of the most memorable parts. That actor here is Rob Lowe, who is hilarious and relentless with his performance. There are one or two moments with him that had me almost passing out with laughter, he’s that good here. And Hayes MacArthur, Tyler Labine and Will Sasso as the trio of mounties also find some incredibly funny beats to make a big impression with.
While I still love the original SUPER TROOPERS, I think I can safely say SUPER TROOPERS 2 may be the stronger of the two films just in terms of comedy, but overall it makes a great companion piece to the original, and should be a satisfying treat for fans who are eagerly wanting to revisit these characters. Make sure to stay all the way through the credits, as you’ll not only be treated to some truly outrageous bloopers, but a post-credit tag that many in our audience missed out on.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
