Starring: Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon
High-school friends Miller (Teller) and Casey (Astin)
reunite with their buddy, Jeff Chang (Chon) as he turns 21. Both Casey and
Miller (especially Miller) want Jeff Chang to come out with them and party to
celebrate this important event, eventually coercing him against his strict
father (Francois Chau) who has lined up an important interview for Jeff Chang
in the morning; but as the night goes on, Jeff Chang’s willingness to party
gets a little out of hand.
If you’re looking for originality, it’s best you go looking
elsewhere rather than checking out 21 And Over; at once both a typical, fairly
low-brow intoxication-related comedy whilst sneaking in some themes about the
expectations that come in Asian-American families and culture not too dissimilar
to Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004) (in fact, the film could almost
be seen as Harold & Kumar: The College Years; albeit with only one Asian protagonist
and alcohol replacing marijuana). In the film’s final stretch, it does try to
go somewhere interesting with these themes but it never fully pays off (in
fact, many of the film’s questions are left unanswered) and whilst the film
tries hard, it just bubbles under being amusing. I admit, I didn’t have a wild
experience turning 21 (unless eating KFC alone and watching Lord Of The Rings
is anyone else’s idea of a wild night) and there are plenty of people who love
these films. To me, like slasher films, these are familiar pay-offs only
livened up by how unique you can make the set-ups and this isn’t that unique.
Perhaps with a little work, it could’ve been something special, but it never
quite makes it.
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