What Took Me So Long: After how much I hated Project X, I was not about to see this in theaters. When it showed up on Netflix, that seemed like a much smaller gamble.
Why I Saw It: This really benefits from how much I liked Miles Teller in The Spectacular Now and how much I liked Pitch Perfect, which Skylar Austin was in (not totally meant as a dig at him). That goodwill went a long way. This is another modern Odyssey aimed at the teenage male demographic. There's alcohol, nudity, profanity, gross-out humor, and a touch of real human emotion. On paper, it has everything one would hope for.
Why I Wish I Hadn't: And yet, it's not at the level of Superbad, or even Road Trip. Something's not right. It doesn't feel genuine. Behind everything in Superbad, for instance, is a script that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were writing since they were in high school. It is layered and rich with detail. There's a love of the characters that is obvious. 21 & Over wants that but isn't sure how to achieve it. Miller is a douche. The fact that he comes even moderately close to being likable is all on Miles Teller's ability to sell it. Casey is a bland everyman. Jeff Chang is a prop for the vast majority of the movie and rarely an effectively used one. Sarah Wright is likable in this. I mainly want to mention her because it blows my mind that she is also the same actress who dated Rob Lowe in Park and Rec. To be honest, the main thing hurting this is my affection for Superbad and other movies that came before it. Slap the "American Pie" or "National Lampoon" logo on it and it fits in perfectly. Compared to Project X, it's fantastic.
Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend
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