21 & Over
Starring: Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon, Sarah Wright, Jonathan Keltz
Directed by: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The night before his big medical school interview, a student (Justin Chon) is taken out by his two best friends (Miles Teller, Skylar Astin) to celebrate his 21st birthday.

Review:

Tim: 21 & Over is billed as coming from the "Writers of The Hangover", which is appropriate, because this movie tries very hard to emulate that more popular, better film. In that comedy, three friends try to piece together what happened during a night of drugs and booze to find their lost friend. In 21 & Over, two friends try to find the third friend's house, while he is passed out drunk and unable to provide them with the address. Both films feature a "drunken quest", which appears to be all the rage in drinking movies these days. While The Hangover seemed fresh and exciting, this film feels like the kid brother, trying to tag along, but always a step behind.

I should be clear that I didn't dislike this movie. The idea of buddies coming together to accomplish a goal, despite intense drunkenness offers a wide variety of different comedic possibilities. It gives the story meaning, so we're not just watching drunk people be drunk. We're all had nights where we drank a little too much, and films like this tap into those memories, but put a significantly more fun spin on them. The central concept works, even if not every aspect of the movie adequately supports it.

A big part of these films is the cast- you've got to get it right. That is a big reason why The Hangover was such a success- Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis were the perfect pairing. While Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, and Justin Chon work really well together, you can see there's a huge drop off. While I'm not trying to be overly harsh on these actors, there's an obviously lower level of star power here. I actually thought these three were very well cast. Astin is the straight man, the relatable everyman caught up in crazy events. Teller is the crazy guy, not afraid to say or do ridiculous things that get his friends in trouble. Chon is the most complicated character- he's a bit mysterious, as we teeters between leaning toward one friend or the other. These three worked really well together, and I enjoyed their interactions on screen.

The film does offer a few very funny moments sprinkled throughout the film, but this is one area where the movie drops the ball a bit. If you're going to compare yourself to The Hangover, you've got to be funny, because that film was consistently funny from start to finish. This movie is closer to most comedies- a few hilarious moments here and there, and a lot of jokes and sequences that don't quite hit the mark. It's for this reason that 21 & Over is closer to the average comedy than it wishes it could be.

As I said before, I really did not dislike this film. It's enjoyable for long stretches, and it's fun in a stupid way. However, it is not a great comedy, and it ultimately features too many cliches and tired moments. It's a fine film if you want a few laughs, but don't go into 21 & Over expecting anything special.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Hangover, Superbad, Project X