Super Troopers 2

After the stoner comedy Super Troopers became a 2001 cult hit, the five-man Colgate University sketch comedy squad known as Broken Lizard returned with Club Dread, Beerfest, and The Slammin’ Salmon, none of which quite hit the mark. So they launched a social-media crowd-funding campaign, raising $4.7 million for this sequel. This time, having lost their jobs as Vermont Highway Patrolmen, the troop goes to work in construction. But when historians discover that Vermont’s northern border was drawn incorrectly, encompassing part of Quebec, the Governor (Lynda Carter) realizes that she needs French-speaking reinforcements. Summoned by their long-suffering boss, Capt. O’Hagan (Brian Cox), the previously disgraced guys are eager to accept this transitional job, setting up headquarters in a log cabin. Although the nearest town’s mayor, Guy LeFranc (Rob Lowe), is cordial, most French-Canadians are not exactly welcoming. A trio of Royal Canadian Mounties (Tyler Labine, Will Sasso, Hayes MacArthur) are particularly antagonistic. A series of pranks ensues between the lawmen, culminating in the Yanks impersonating Canucks, and somewhere along the way, they manage to bust a mysterious local drug-and-gun smuggling ring. And there’s an absurd romantic hook-up between the former rookie Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske) and cultural attaché Genevieve (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Director/co-star Jay Chandrasekhar serves up stale, decidedly un-funny, drug-addled action, accompanied by a grating rock soundtrack and far too many sexist and homophobic references. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (40 min.), deleted/extended scenes (20 min.), and the costar segment “Kevin Heffernan: Method Actor” (2 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing sequel.] (S. Granger)