Review of 21 & Over (2013) by Hoops2448 — 03 Jun 2013

Movie studios like burning off their comedies in March before the summer blockbusters hit so that they stand a chance, they also burn off bad films here too. Luckily enough 21 & Over isn't much like fellow party comedy Project X which was released last March and felt more like burn off than valid comedy.

21 & Over is about when Jeff Chang (Justin Chon) turns 21 and his old friends Miller and Casey (Miles Teller and Skylar Astin) come to take him out for a night on the town. However the trio soon find out a lot has changed between them and it may take some unexpected events to bring everyone back together.

Right off the bat 21 hobbles itself by limiting the screen time of its funniest character. Jeff Chang is hilarious and is sadly not in the film as long as the other two leads. That doesn't mean that Miller and Casey aren't interesting but they do take some time to grow on you, especially Miller whose quite caustic at the beginning and will either entertain people or infuriate them.

The fact is that by the end they are 3 very well rounded characters (some might say stereotypes) who can annoy at times but liven up a film that is more coincidence than plot. Their misadventures are tamer than that of Project X so they feel a lot more real and therefore are funnier and more entertaining and the crazy stuff that happens doesn't feel like its from another planet.

The film is populated by some odd characters but they never feel ridiculous, even the LSD taking college professor seems oddly believable in the world director Jon Lucas has created. All these side characters provide some good laughs although the required love interest section of the film has nothing to it, if feels wrong and honestly the film didn't need the distraction and it ultimately ruins the ending of one of these characters story because he is forced to do the Hollywood thing and chase after the girl.

The film at first suffers from some scripting problems as the film is trying to sound youthful but it doesn't quite ring true but after a while you get used to it, its just not the most expertly written dialogue and it isn't nearly as edgy as they think it is.

However it is an enjoyable film because it doesn't take itself too seriously and even the ending where some lesson must be learnt it isn't forced upon you so much that it ruins the fun you had watching the film in the first place.