In an attempt to recreate the excitement and humor of The Hangover, Scott Moore and Jon Lucas have created 21 & Over, a fresh and humorous comedy that will likely appeal most to those who have yet to hit the legal drinking age.
Starring Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, and Justin Chon, 21 & Over benefits from great onscreen chemistry and decent comedic timing. Though none are able to carry the film throughout its lackluster moments (and there are quite a few of them), they do a decent job at stirring up laughs as they encounter one cliché situation after another.
The film centers on Jeff Chang, a straight-laced college student who rarely lives life outside of the lines. But that is about to change as his two high school friends surprise him for a night out on the town to commemorate his 21st birthday. But Chang has a big medical school interview in the morning, so a few quick drinks is all he can afford to do -- but then again, when your 21, there is no such thing as a quick celebration.
Though the film is entirely predictable from the onset, 21 & Over does offer up some impressive scenes (dancing on the car and the Tower of Power sequence). But those are often overshadowed by the irrelevant moments of seriousness. Sure, we realize that the film needs a central story with heart, but the film ended up taking itself far too serious, leading way to a confused message that makes you question the jokes.
The end result is a film that is probably a bit too amateur for your average movie fan. Those who haven't experienced their first night as a legal drinker will likely find the film entertaining, but most of those will have a hard time getting into the R-rated feature. This time of cross-confusion is a direct metaphor to the film, which fails to hit the right chord thanks to its unfortunate predictability and sheer inability to identity with itself.
