Hat bemused-shrug emoji is not yet considered to be an actual word. If it were, I would paste it here 400 times and call that a review of Super Troopers 2. It would capture my feelings utterly.
At once straining and proving the adage “better late than never, ” Super Troopers 2 arrives as a nostalgia-trip sequel to the 2002 cult favorite. The original comedy, from the collegiate sketch group turned occasional filmmakers Broken Lizard, was a champion of home viewing; in theaters, it failed to crack the $20 million mark. ( Lest you claim inflation, I would point out that it failed to rank even among that year’s 100 top earners.)
As such, there was little commercial demand for another installment ( a sad state made worse by the failure of the other Broken Lizard films to do any better at the box office) . Fan demand and familiarity are powerful forces, however, and an IndieGogo campaign to finance the film raised more than $4 million.
The results are . well, they’re fine. If you’re a fan of the original, rest assured that everything you loved about the film is back — sometimes absurdly so, with bits and punchlines repeated. ( Sometimes this is called out as pandering by the script; other times, it’s not.) If you’re not a fan of the original, there’s nothing here to hook you anew; while I would argue that Super Troopers 2 actually maintains its comedy a bit more consistently than the original, it is far from a must-see.