Share
Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1
Dude, you're getting a Dell! (Relativity Media)

“Dude, I’m getting a Dell!”
(Relativity Media)

Still riding the fumes of their mega-hit The Hangover, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore move their “one night of drunken madness” story to college in 21 & Over, an unfunny waste of time that suggests its creators may be chronic fume sniffers as well.  Glued together by the loosest of scripts, the film is made nearly unwatchable by annoying performances and offensive attempts at sincerity.  Banking on the assumption that the Wolfpack faithful will flock to anything with alcohol-fueled shenanigans, the filmmakers put forth minimal effort, a quality blatantly evident in each excruciating frame.

You'll never guess his age. Never. (Relativity Media)

You’ll never guess his age.
Never.
(Relativity Media)

Proving that certain movies are only as strong as their weakest links, 21 & Over offers up Miles Teller’s Miller, who unfortunately happens to be the film’s lead.  Riffing on random nothingness in full Bro mode, the young actor who excelled with quiet intensity in 2010’s Rabbit Hole and earned immense praise for The Spectacular Now at this year’s Sundance is a dreadful guide with sadly amiss comedic timing.  Not helping matters is a bored Skylar Astin as Miller’s straight-laced best friend Casey and Justin Chon’s depressingly puerile Jeff Chang, whose 21st birthday serves as the basis for the trio’s debauchery.

Sworn to get Jeff Chang (the double-name gag quickly turns stale) to an important Med School interview in the morning, Miller and Casey let one drink turn to an impossible sum as they barhop around Northern Pacific University.  Under such influence, cliché antics ensue that presume to be both hilarious and outrageous, yet are neither.  The centerpiece sequence involves Jeff Chang vomiting in slow motion while atop a mechanical bull, a sight that would have felt out of place in American Pie’s heyday.  The scene is merely the beginning, however, as Miller and Casey’s quest to return their friend home is full of similar humorless moments, none of which are the least bit entertaining.

Awesome. (Relativity Media)

Messing with drunk people? How astute!
(Relativity Media)

While the frequency of these lowest common denominator gags allow a numbness to set in, 21 & Over goes for the jugular in its attempts to drop in the occasional serious conversation.  Amidst spanking sorority pledges and walking around in nothing but strategically-placed tube socks, our heroes make casual reference to their respective growing pains and the realization that they aren’t as close as they once were.  Oblivious to working these legitimate issues into the story in a meaningful manner, the filmmakers are content with brief mentions before returning to their tired drunken schtick.  The indifference toward their characters and their directorial debut overall is the film’s one true constant, and faced with such an attitude, audiences are left with no choice but respond in kind.

Grade: D-

Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some graphic nudity, drugs and drinking.

21 & Over is currently playing at the Carolina Cinemas on Hendersonville Rd.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc9vHeGNTY0]

Tags::
Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

You Might also Like

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Stories