Monday 10 February 2014

21 & Over

*
Release Date: March 29th 2013

The night before his big medical school interview, a promising student celebrates his 21st birthday with his two best friends.

Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore (writers of The Hangover Trilogy)

Starring: Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon

Jeff Chang (Chon) is a respectable 20 year old, not wanting to celebrate his 21st birthday until the day after because of an interview with a top medical school, but no, he's effortlessly roped in to partying by his idiotic best friends Miller (Teller) and Casey (Astin) on a night he should be resting. Not all the blame goes to them, as Jeff has next to no will power.

Anyone and everyone that use to drink and party in their early teens/late twenties know that nights out like these never exist, and if they do, they would be stopped quickly. All their debauchery is over-exaggerated and over-used.

21 & Over has significant themes similar to Project X and The Hangover, drunken antics with friends being real friends who take the royal mick out of each other. This has all been seen before and chafes like a crap pair of jeans.

Most will expect the smart and sensible Jeff would have a central role. We miss out on all the booze-fueled revelry as it cuts from Jeff's first drink to complete and utter inebriation. He spends a good hour in a comatose state whilst his friends waste their time finding someone who knows his address so they can get him home before his extremely strict father picks him up next morning.  Miller and Casey should have poured water on Jeff's face to wake him up, and asked him, rendering this film pointless.

There's no sense of accomplishment or positive feeling left at the end of the road. The only thing to learn from 21 & Over is don't be a complete and utter douchebag to your friends, regardless of their condition. If Miller and Casey knew about Jeff's secrets, then they would be better friends to begin with.

Overview: Stick to Project X and The Hangover. By the same writers as The Hangover, they definitely lacked the finesse and attitude, so probably copied and pasted the same template.       

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