21 And Over: Movie Review

21 And Over: Movie Review

Cast: Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon, Sarah Wright, Francois Chau
Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Following on from last year's Project X, and the slightly more adult Hangover series, it's clear that there's still plenty to be mined in the "One night out, deal with the regrets later" genre.

This latest focuses on two mates, Miller and Casey (Project X's Teller and Pitch Perfect's Skylar Astin) who head to their med-student friend Jeff Chang (Chon) for an impromptu celebration of his 21st. But Jeff Chang doesn't want to party as he's got an important interview the next day.

Still with friends like Miller, who says he will mess up his friend with alcohol (severely paraphrasing here), Jeff has no choice.

But, the night's antics spiral out of control - and soon, Miller and Casey are stuck on a college campus, with no idea of how to get their friend home - and with the threat of violence from Jeff's father facing them, are in a race against time.

21 And Over will clearly appeal to its target demographic - the kind of teen boys who like to party (or believe there's still a world out there made for partying and filled with beautiful college women who are there for the taking) and who are looking for nothing more than a dumb time at the movies.

Heavily slanted towards the American college scene (with fraternities, hazing and debauchery aplenty), it may be a world which is slightly alien to others. But it's exactly what you'd expect from a film such as this - montages of slow mo drinking, dancing and puking, embarrassments and nudity, character stereotyping and casual racism - it's all in the chaotic mix of a night out. (And there's palpable relief it's not in 3D either, I can tell you).

The main trio are nothing spectacular - the situations they get into are fairly outrageous in a tame sort of way. But here's the thing with 21 And Over. It feels so old hat; there's no real stand out new entry into the genre; no defining moment which gives it the chance to stand out about the rest. It's not just a lot of loutish bad drunken behaviour though - there's a kernel of a nice story hidden within (which is rare in these types of films) as Miller and Casey realise they don't know much these days about their friend Jeff Chang (they call him that all the way through) after he went to college. Plus, Casey discovers there's more to life than a steady job and being reckless with a girl (Sarah Wright who looks uncannily like Alice Eve)

And it's a nice touch to demonstrate how friendships can wax and wane - before you see the guys naked in nothing but gym socks. So, to be honest, it's stuff we've all seen done time and time again - without the faintest whiff of originality or excess.

All in all, 21 And Over will fulfill a need in some - and I predict moderate success for it - it'll appeal to those who pine to be college drinking gods; everyone else will just be glad they grew up.

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