Screenwriters Scott Moore and Jon Lucas, (The Hangover) make their directorial debut with a new comedy 21 & Over. It’s the story of three high school friends reuniting in university for a night of heavy drinking and adventure. Moore and Lucas bring their now-familiar sense of humour to the narrative. While the audience may feel a sense of déjà-vu, the jokes are fresh enough to keep 21 & Over a highly entertaining film.

Photo courtesy of Relativity Media

Part Old-School, part The Hangover ‘University Edition’, but mostly the cinematic representation of “YOLO”, 21 & Over begins when Miller (Miles Teller, Project X) and Casey (Skylar Astin, Pitch Perfect) journey from their respective colleges to celebrate Jeff Chang’s (Justin Chon, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1) twenty-first birthday. Miller and Chang’s friendship goes back a long way and they have been BFF’s since high school. Unfortunately the big celebration is overshadowed by responsibility and obligation: Jeff has the most important interview of his young life at 7am the next day.

Photo courtesy of Relativity Media

This does not deter his party-seeking best friends and Jeff reluctantly agrees to go out for “one beer”. No surprises when one beer turns in to a night of binge drinking and shenanigans. Very reminiscent of another movie we’ve seen, Chang is less of an active participant in what follows and more of a plot device (and often a prop) motivating the quest Miller and Casey must complete.

Photo courtesy of Relativity Media

Moore and Lucas’ formula is apparent; swap a bachelor party for a twenty-first birthday, a quiet weekend in Vegas for “one drink” at the bar, a wedding on Monday for an interview in the morning, an expectant fiancée for a demanding father, a tiger for a buffalo… But who is to blame the writers for sticking with plot devices that obviously work? Despite its sense of familiarity, 21 & Over’s setting and punch lines are just different enough to feel fresh and highly amusing. Unfortunately, like many other comedies, 21 & Over falls prey to the notion it must pause the hilarity and force the characters into some form of emotional development which serves a broader moral lesson. The film falls prey to the notion that without a dull and humourless section that addresses the consequences of its characters’ actions, audiences would lose interest. Someone needs to dispel this myth, we are just here for the laughs.

Photo courtesy of Relativity Media

Overall, 21 & Over will appeal to exactly the same people who enjoyed The Hangover. It will evoke nostalgia from those who have left their school days behind, and surely heighten anticipation in those waiting for their graduation. 21 & Over is best enjoyed with a suspended sense of political correctness.

Astrid Handling & Bronwyn Handling