Was 21&Over "a night you'll never remember"?
I'll be honest here, I was not planning to go and see this movie in the cinema. I had avoided the trailer and any hype at all for it, and was planning to watch it on DVD release some time in the near future thanks to it's very low scoring reviews so far. However, after heading to the cinema to view it last night, I'm here today to tell you that this movie is an absolute gem, and that if you had even the tiniest inclination to see this movie before reading this review that you should definitely go and see this movie.
I don't like making comparisons, but if I had to compare this movie to anything it would be The Hangover - but 10 or so years younger, which is no surprise as the writing/directing duo of Scott Moore and John Lucas did moth movies. The film gains your curiosity instantly, opening with a shot from 3/4 of the way through the movie that raises a slew of questions that you couldn't even guess the answers to if you tried, and it carries through the plot with a main cast member being out of the picture (although still involved, you'll understand when you see it).
Miller, Casey and Jeff Chang have been best friends since high school, and since going their separate ways for college Miller and Casey decide to surprise Jeff with a visit on his 21st Birthday. When they arrive on the afternoon of his birthday however, they learn that Jeff has a med school interview lined up at 8am the next morning by his control-freak father. Not settling for a boring night, they decide to head out for one birthday drink, to celebrate Jeff's new found adulthood and freedom. As some of you may very well know though, it never ends at one drink. Cue a night full of college shenanigans, rampaging buffalo, rain-dancing chiefs and mobster Latinas and you get an idea for what 21 & Over is all about.
On a more technical note, the film is excellently paced, the hour and a half run time is ideal as the film never sits on any one event for more than it needs to and delivers the next joke without missing a beat. Transitioning between scenes and emotions was also excellent, moving from true "LOL" moments to serious decisions/consequences at the drop of a hat. One such moment at a frat house even managed to do both sides simultaneously, making me burst out laughing while feeling terrible at the same time. For such a smaller budget film it pulled off some amazingly hilarious stunts, and some cringe worthy/face covering slow motion shots that last wayyy too long but never stop being funny.
The movie has a few moments where it suffers from its smaller cast, some of the actors not quite having enough oomph to really sell their roles, but these moments are few and far between and in fact the majority of the acting is heartfelt and believable. From the nerve-filled "boy-meets-girl" moments to the abusive friendships of the main trio, it was easy to see myself or even people I knew reacting exactly the same in those situations.
Verdict
21 & Over kept me thoroughly entertained throughout the entire movie. It's a classic teenage comedy but grown up and in college, many of the jokes and scenes feeling straight out of American Pie or Van Wilder and more still from The Hangover or Due Date. The majority of the cast deliver excellent performances, with only a few ordinary moments for the whole film. Watching the characters deal with friendship, life choices, and self discovery it was easy to relate and even see friends of my own in their roles (conveniently enough two of my close friends are also Asian and Jewish and we abuse the hell out of them for it to). I fully appreciate that middle-aged people or even females of any age may not find the material quite as funny, I sat next to a girl and in front of us there was another man and woman and I couldn't hear the girls laughing over me and the bloke laughing our asses off quite literally.
As is usually the case with movies containing an age in the title, 21 & and Over is a cracking film that I would recommend for anyone who is..... 21 & Over!
Welsh Says : Really, Really, Really, Really Good! (4/5 Really's)
- Welsh 21/03/13
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