Main Cast: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 103 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A handful of state troopers are put in the uncomfortable position of having to actually enforce the law in this high-spirited comedy. Mac (Steve Lemme), Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar), Foster (Paul Stoter), and Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske) are four Vermont state troopers whose dedication to duty is not exactly an inspiration to law enforcement officers everywhere. Stationed in a small town near the Canadian border, the troopers don't have much to do, so they while away their hours smoking dope and harassing hapless motorists. Their superior officer, Capt. O'Hagan (Brian Cox), likes the boys and they try to keep their more outrageous antics out of his earshot, but they often run afoul of fellow trooper Farva (Kevin Heffernan), who insists on doing things by the book. When Governor Jessman (Lynda Carter) announces massive budget cuts for Vermont law enforcement personnel, things look bad for the troopers and they must quickly prove their worth or they'll be forced to look for real jobs. Appropriately enough, the troopers stumble upon some information regarding a group of marijuana dealers operating along the border; the guys figure this is just the sort of high-profile bust that could save their careers, but the police department of a nearby town gets wind of the troopers' plans. The Earlville police are no friends of the troopers, and they set out to ruin their moment of glory. Super Troopers was written by the five-man comedy troupe Broken Lizard, who also star as the five troopers; the group's leader, Jay Chandrasekhar, directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Super Troopers is a silly, slow-moving lowbrow comedy. Colgate University-spawned comedy troupe Broken Lizard work well together, but their script is full of flat jokes and gags that misfire, and the direction by troupe member Jay Chandrasekhar (who plays Thorny), stretches every one of these bits to the breaking point. The lazy pace of the film is oddly intriguing during a pre-credit sequence in which Thorny and Rabbit (Eric Stolhanske) harass a trio of stoned college kids. The scene's weird distention enhances the Kafkaesque quality of the humor. But things never really pick up, and it begins to seem like the guys just didn't have enough jokes to fill the film's running time. Why just throw away a gag about Mac (Steve Lemme) pointing his radar gun at his hand when he's masturbating in his squad car, when you can drag it out for a good minute-and-a-half? The Broken Lizard guys are better actors than they are writers, and Chandrasekhar in particular is surprisingly sympathetic. Veteran character actors Brian Cox (who played Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter) and Daniel Von Bargen (of TV's Malcolm in the Middle) do solid work. There's an original idea in here somewhere about bored cops whose attempts to pass the time devolve into anarchy. But the appealingly off-kilter premise and easy bonhomie are not enough to sustain a feature film. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Johnny Hardesty - Art Director, Jennifer McNamara - Casting, Melissa Bruning - Costume Designer, Jay Chandrasekhar - Director, Kevin Heffernan - Editor, Jumbulingam Chandrasekhar - Editor, Jacob Craycroft - Editor, Peter E. Lengyel - Executive Producer, Anne R. Flocco - Line Producer, 38 Special - Composer (Music Score), Barry Cole - Musical Direction/Supervision, Christopher Covert - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ben Conable - Production Designer, Joaquin Baca-Asay - Cinematographer, Richard Perello - Producer, David Alvarez - Sound/Sound Designer, Fred Helm - Sound/Sound Designer, Jay Chandrasekhar - Screenwriter, Kevin Heffernan - Screenwriter, Steve Lemme - Screenwriter, Paul Soter - Screenwriter, Erik Stolhanske - Screenwriter, Broken Lizard - Screenwriter, Jocelyn Mason - Set Decorator
Filled with the sort of Southern rock that seemed to have faded away in the '70s, Super Troopers is the soundtrack to the comedy of the same name. Featuring numerous contributions from Southern Culture on the Skids, Steak, the Jack Grace Band, the Unband, and Nashville Pussy, the soundtrack does not take itself very seriously, which sinks the album by the end. This was never that humorous of a genre in its heyday, which makes it perplexing why so many Southern rock bands choose to take that route. The best band here is Nashville Pussy, who rages through their contributions like a Texas-born Motorhead. Their heavy riffs and charismatic songwriting set the mood perfectly. Southern Culture on the Skids also fit the album quite well, using their years of experience to write some pretty darn catchy country songs. Bubbles takes an entirely different approach, getting the pace and mood of a hoedown, but twisting into a techno anthem with bizarre vocals and a danceable beat. Poor 38 Special performs "Trooper With an Attitude," the first track, and sadly this is one of the worst songs here. The former kings of the genre sound like an old metal band trying to ape their former selves. The song is a truly sad showing for a band that used to be the epitome of this music. But, outside of these artists, most of the album is dedicated to a generic style of Southern rock that jumps between heavy metal with a southern twist (the Unband) and Southern rock with a poppy twist (the Jack Grace Band). No matter which direction the musicians take, it usually has goofy enough lyrics to negate whatever curious things the bands might be doing. Fans of the movie may get a kick out of the soundtrack, and this is not terrible, but it is simply an uneven album that never quite recovers from the poor entries. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
The plot centers on five Vermont state troopers who seem to have more of a knack for pranks than actual police work. Most of their time is spent devising new ways of messing with the heads of the people they pull over and hazing the new recruit, "Rabbit". They also find time to torment their easily infuriated radio dispatcher, Rodney Farva, who has been exiled from patrol work because he was involved in a fight with several students during a (potentially questionable and dubious) traffic stop of a schoolbus, which is later revealed during the credits. Their days of pranking and slacking off are cut short when the troopers suddenly find themselves attempting to solve a murder, bust a drug-smuggling ring, and avoid having their post eliminated by the state's impending budget cut — resulting in their transfer, or quitting and opening up a roller disco.
The troopers have an ongoing rivalry with the local city, Spurbury, police department and constantly have fights with them ("highway cops versus the local cops"); one such dispute breaks out into an all-out fistfight, further increasing the station's chances of being shut down. The rivalry eventually results in the governor's (Lynda Carter) praise for the efforts of the Spurbury PD, who had managed to keep one step ahead of the state police by making their department appear responsible for the confiscation of the smuggled drugs. Defeated, the defrocked troopers unexpectedly stumble upon the scheme in which the local police are running protection for the aforementioned drug smugglers. The film's epilogue finds the highway post still eliminated due to the budget cuts; however, the troopers become the new officers of the Spurbury PD (replacing their presumably incarcerated corrupt predecessors) and thus free to continue their shenanigans in and around their jurisdiction.
Cast
State Troopers
Jay Chandrasekhar as Lieutenant Arcot "Thorny" Ramathorn, a veteran of the Vermont State Police who is the second-in-command of his barracks. Although he is the most serious of the field officers in his station, he has no inhibitions against bending the rules and playing pranks if he knows they will not result in any serious repercussions. He is in an open relationship with his son's mother Bobbi, who owns a head shop. At one point, they swing with a German couple in the troopers' custody for auto theft. His ethnicity remains a point of confusion and humor for the others who confuse him for a Mexican, Arab-American and an African-American rather than the Indian-American that he is.
Paul Soter as Jeff Foster, arguably the most calm and reserved trooper of the force. He engages in a relationship with a Spurbury Police officer, Ursula, during the movie and, with her help, ultimately uncovers the corruption of the other Spurbury PD officers. He is often mocked by his coworkers for his inability to grow a moustache.
Steve Lemme as MacIntyre "Mac" Womack, the trooper who enjoys pranks the most. He is called a "sick mother fucker" by Captain O'Hagen because of the extremes to which he is willing to go. Mac is also the most expressive of the troopers, whether verbally ridiculing Farva for his lame tricks or nearly taking out his anger over the closing of the station through violence against Foster. Mac is the proud owner of a costume that looks like a hunter having sex with a bear.
Erik Stolhanske as Robert "Rabbit" Roto, the newest addition to the force. He is partnered with Lt. Ramathorn until he is caught speeding in a car confiscated as stolen property and temporarily relegated to dispatch; however, he is later reinstated due to another trooper's actions. He is often accused by Farva of knowing more about drugs than he should and is accused of having toured with the Grateful Dead when he was younger. Although the new guy and rookie of the team, Rabbit is noticeably more accepted by and welcome in the group by the others than Farva, a source of contention with the latter.
Kevin Heffernan as Rodney "Rod" Farva, a fat, loud, obnoxious and arrogant radio operator. He is almost always under suspension from field work, relegated to perennial dispatch, due to his inability to control his anger. His pranks (shenanigans) are often described as "cruel and tragic" rather than "cheeky and fun" making them not simply "shenanigans", but "evil shenanigans" and is quick to use vulgarity when dealing with an elderly couple(who are his real-life parents and didn't know exactly what he was going to say), believing that is the kind of behavior the other troopers display on traffic stops. He advocates the naming of his patrol car with Ramathorn as "Car RamRod."
Brian Cox as Captain John O'Hagen, the commander of his Vermont State Trooper barracks. He acts as a mentor to his troopers and tries his best to keep the station from being cut from the budget. He is a two-time boxing champion in the Navy and is derided by Farva for his choice in dress as wearing a "Canadian Tuxedo", an outfit made completely from denim. Brian Cox is also the only actor to play a trooper who is not a member of the Broken Lizard troupe.
"Local Cop" scenes were mainly filmed in the City of Beacon, and the "Highway Cop" scenes were filmed on New York State Route 117 and the Taconic State Parkway both in Westchester County, New York in the towns of Ossining and Briarcliff Manor[citation needed], with Rockefeller State Park Preserve, which runs parallel, used as well. The syrup chugging scene was filmed in M's Cozy Corner located in Fishkill, NY which has since closed and been replaced by a pharmacy. The pharmacy closed in 2007 due to flooding.[3] The opening scene involving the white Mazda Miata was shot at a pub called the Golden Rail in Newburgh, NY. The bar is located right off New York State Route 32 (North Plank Road) and is not far from the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and the Town of Fishkill and the City of Beacon - where other scenes were also shot for the film.
Critical reception
The film has received mixed reviews from critics, greeted warmly by some and panned by others. Aggregate review website Rotten Tomatoes scores only 35%[4] positive reviews while Metacritic, another aggregate review website, gives it a metascore of 48 out of 100,[5] which, according to the website's rating system, scores as Mixed or average reviews. Film critic Roger Ebert awarded the film 2½ stars out of 4, saying "I can't quite recommend it — it's too patched together — but I almost can; it's the kind of movie that makes you want to like it".[6]
Overall, the film grossed $18,492,362 in the United States and $23,182,223 worldwide.[7]
In 2001 Super Troopers won the Audience Award at the South By South West Film Competition. The movie tied with Lady Porn (2001) and Wave Twisters (2001).[9]
Sequel
At the 2006 Comic-Con Convention in San Diego, California, Broken Lizard revealed that a prequel for the film was in the works which would take place in the 1970s and follow the fathers of the main characters in the original film.[10] Jay Chandreskhar told Rotten Tomatoes, "The joke is that we'll make it Super Troopers '76, set during the bicentennial." "We'll have a little shaggier hair and mustaches...We might do it, I don't know. That movie has sort of a special place in a lot of people's hearts, so all we can do is mess it up."[11]
However, in a January 2009 interview with MovieWeb.com, Paul Soter and Jay Chandrasekhar revealed that the movie would be a sequel. Chandrasekhar stated "We pick up the story essentially right were we left off. Maybe about three months later. We are all working undercover for the lumber industry. What has happened is that there are all of these eco-terrorists that are trying to blow up the lumber mills. And we are there working as security."[12] Soter added to that: "The big picture is that we are on the Canadian Border. And in reality, what has happened is that the government has found places where the markers were off, or wrong. And there are these areas of land that were thought to be Canada, but are actually part of the US. We are enlisted to patrol this area that was always thought to be Canadian soil. But no, it is actually the United States. We are enlisted because they have to send someone there to help make it part of the US territory now. We get recruited to be the highway patrolmen there. And we are surrounded by all of these Canadian people that aren't happy about this. We essentially have to impose US law on a bunch of Canadians that aren't at all happy about it."
In November 2009, Broken Lizard revealed that they had finished three drafts of the sequel's screenplay and that independent financiers had agreed to finance the movie. They also revealed that the character of Captain O'Hagan was part of the screenplay and that actor Brian Cox was planning on returning to the role.[13]
