Rated
R (Crude and Sexual Content, Pervasive Language, Some Graphic Nudity, Drugs and
Drinking)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 33 Minutes
Cast-
Justin
Chon-Jeffrey Chang
Skylar
Astin-Casey
Miles
Teller-Miller
Sarah
Wright-Nicole
Jonathan
Keltz-Randy
Dustin
Ybarra-PJ Bril
Samantha
Futerman-Sally Huang
Daniel
Booko-Julian
Russell
Mercado-Jayden
Josie
Loren-Pledge Aguilar
Christiann
Castellanos-Pledge Gomez
François
Chau-Dr. Chang
Russell
Hodgkinson-The Chief
Directed
by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
 |
| We have a crazy Asian over here! |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.
Coming-of-age
films are a dime a dozen these days, with the latest example being last year's
critically acclaimed "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" but surprisingly,
there's never been one that explores what's it like to turn 21—probably because
it's not as big a deal as turning 18 (the only benefit is that you're legally
allowed to consume alcohol). That's all about to change with "21 and
Over," a raunchy R-rated comedy from first-time directors Jon Lucas and
Scott Moore. You may recall that Lucas and Moore wrote the script for "The
Hangover," one of 2009's surprise hits, grossing over $467 million
worldwide on a cheap $35 million production budget. Its success sparked a new
wave of R-rated comedies, albeit to mixed results. However, the rest of Lucas
and Moore's filmography leaves much to be desired; not only did 2011's
"The Change-Up" receive negative reviews from critics (26% on Rotten
Tomatoes) but it also bombed at the domestic box office with only $37 million.
"21 and Over" never reaches the heights of "The Hangover"
as it's neither as original nor as well-executed but the film offers enough
outrageous laughs to put it above the cookie-cutter fare that Hollywood tends
to release.
Former high school friends Casey (Skylar Astin) and Miller (Miles
Teller) are reuniting with their best friend Jeffrey Chang (Justin Chon) in
order to celebrate his twenty-first birthday. Despite having an important
medical school interview in the morning and an overbearing father (François
Chau) who would 'honor kill' him if he screws up, Jeffrey agrees to have a
quick beer at Miller's insistence. Not surprisingly, Jeffrey ends up getting
drunk and starts hitting all the bars around campus. Hours later, Casey and
Miller find their friend passed out and completely incoherent. The two try to
get Jeffrey home in time for his interview but there's only one problem: they
don't know where he lives! What started off with an innocent drink soon turns
into a night of humiliation and utter debauchery for these three friends.
R-rated
comedies tend to push the envelope and I was afraid that "21 and
Over" would amount to nothing more than a barrage of 'jokes' mocking
Asians. The beginning of the film seems to indicate this as Miller calls
Jeffrey a 'yellow-faced little girl' for refusing to celebrate his twenty-first
birthday. Obviously, they all could've gone out for drinks after Jeffrey wrapped up his interview but then we would have no
movie. There's also the fact that Jeffrey's father conforms to the 'strict
Asian parent' stereotype. Fortunately, such jokes are largely abandoned in
favor of ridiculous sight gags as these three friends find themselves in one
crazy situation after another. The script is basically a rehash the original
"Hangover" with a few changes here and there. Instead of Las Vegas,
the film is set on a college campus (actually the University of Washington) and
rather than losing Jeffrey, Casey and Miller have to find out where he lives.
It's a flimsy premise, and one that the audience will easily resolve if they
pay close attention but Lucas and Moore cook up enough outrageous, if
uninspired, scenarios that keep the laughs consistently rolling. Jeffrey is
quickly knocked out for the majority of the film, leaving his two friends to
fend for themselves as they run afoul of a Hispanic sorority and a group of jocks
with way too much school spirit. The
highpoint arrives midway and involves an eight story maze of various drinking
games and beaded necklaces called the 'Tower of Power.' Lucas and Moore
frequently mock the stereotypical 'college experience' even as it revels in
them, from strange sorority rituals where initiates are spanked with a paddle
to keg parties that result in a buffalo running amok. The characters fall under
the usual comedy archetypes with Casey being the straight man, Miller the wise-cracker
and Jeffrey the nerd (of course). Surprisingly, "21 and Over" does
deal with some serious issues, with Casey and Miller finding a gun in Jeffrey's
pocket while wondering how they all drifted apart. Given the number of mass
shootings recently, some may believe that Jeffrey is mentally unstable but the
truth is far more mundane (and handled with less finesse since this is a comedy
after all).
As for the performances, Skylar Astin and Miles Teller share a good
rapport and they're likable enough in their roles to keep us invested despite
the weak characterization. The dialogue can get too hung up on one joke but the
banter between the two remains entertaining and well-improvised. Justin Chon's screen-time
is unfortunately limited as the story demands he spend a good chunk of the film
passed out and drunk, although I have to admire his tenacity for running around
butt-naked with only a teddy bear to cover his crotch. Astin and Teller also
end up wearing nothing but a tube sock as part of a humiliating ritual by a
sorority group. Sarah Wright is sweet as Astin's love interest while Dustin
Ybarra, Jonathan Keltz, and Samantha Futerman make the most out of their
limited roles.
"21 and Over" will be released on March 1, 2013 but
has actually been screening as far back as last summer. Apparently, there was
some footage shot in China (which led to a mild controversy that you can read
about here) but not one
scene is set there...in this version. Yes, there are actually two versions of
the film! One will contain all the R-rated debauchery promised in the trailers
while the other will be shown exclusively in China and features a radically
different ending warning of the dangers of the 'hedonistic West' to Chinese
audiences. I won't be going into a long discussion on this as it is not the
focus of this review but to sum up my feelings, I find it sad that the Chinese
populace is unable to enjoy the same cinema we have because their government is
so afraid of free speech. Moving back to the topic at hand, audience reaction
at last Wednesday's advance screening was positive, although the laughs did not
reach the riotous levels of 2012's "Ted." Critical reception will
likely be lukewarm at best given the film's derivative nature and it faces
stiff competition during its opening weekend. Compared to similar R-rated
comedies, "21 and Over" is merely passable, playing it safe by
sticking to a tried-and-true formula but it does manage to be funny enough to
make it worth a matinee.
Final
Rating: 3 out of 5
"Dude, I'm really alert right now. I feel like Spider-Man!"
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