Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Super Troopers Blu-ray Movie Review

Fox's release of 'Super Troopers' is a super treat for fans.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 6, 2008

It's not so funny meow, is it?

Perhaps no other genre elicits more of a personal reaction as does the Comedy genre. Some audiences may prefer the antics of Abbott and Costello; others might find the wit of Mel Brooks to their liking; the genius of Bill Murray might be a personal favorite; or, for the younger generations, the works of Sacha Baron Cohen might do the trick. Super Troopers plays as sort of a cross-generational comedy, delivering over-the-top visual gags of the genre's early days with the wit of Brooks, the comedic timing of Murray, and the gross-out humor of today. The film succeeds in part because of its amalgamation of standards as no one area lacks in favor of another. The Broken Lizard team is exactly that, all of them combining their efforts to make the film a success both in front of and behind the camera, with each one contributing to the script and playing the five lead roles, and one of their own, Jay Chandrasekhar, directing.

Yes, the movie is this funny!

The sleepy town of Spurbury, Vermont is routinely the victim of the incessant hijinks of the local division of the State Highway Patrol. The officers spend their days fishing rather than patrolling, hazing new recruits, tormenting motorists, and pulling pranks on one another. Their way of life is threatened when it looks like their division may be shut down in favor of the more efficient local police; the Highway Patrol oversees a 50-mile stretch of prime ticket-issuing real-estate which has gone untapped in recent times, failing to provide the funding to keep them afloat. Matters are complicated when murder strikes the town and the officers discover Spurbury is a central hub for the transportation of illicit narcotics, both linked by the image of a traveling Afghani-mation monkey. Will the Spurbury division of the State Highway Patrol solve the crimes and save the day, or will their hijinks be the end of them?

Super Troopers is a blast to watch and is easily one of the funnier films of the decade. Certainly inane and lacking much of a plot, the film seems to meddle every now and then, favoring a series of well-integrated vignettes over a tight, cohesive story, but the approach works very well. By film's end, audiences are left satisfied not only with the humor, but also with the plot, no matter how forced it feels into a film built around a series of excellent verbal and physical gags. Created on a dime store budget, debuting at the Sundance Film Festival, gobbled up by Fox Searchlight, and now enjoying life as something of a minor classic in the Comedy genre, Super Troopers is, to date, the high point of the Broken Lizard filmography. The talented quintet has yet to convince audiences that Super Troopers was no fluke, however; the follow-up film, Club Dread, performed, well, dreadfully at the box office, though the team rebounded with a moderately successful theatrical run of the somewhat underrated Beerfest.

Super Troopers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Super Troopers pulls viewers over through its 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. While a well above average offering, this transfer doesn't have the same pop and clarity of the best and slickest of the more recent big-budget-turned-Blu movies, but the disc holds its own in most every scene, offering viewers highly detailed and rich imagery. The early scene featuring the trio of pot smokers in their car features very nice detail in the numerous close-ups of faces. The interior of the car, too, particularly the dash, features rich, lifelike imagery. The high level of detail continues throughout; a subsequent sequence in a diner in chapter three features a fine mixture of everyday objects all over the table and throughout the restaurant, ranging from the syrup bottles to chairs. The print features the occasional speckle and blemish, but these are never much of a deterrence to the overall presentation. Grain is not prevalent over the image, so for those who prefer that their movies fill their displays and feature minimal grain, this is the movie for them. Blacks levels and flesh tones are well represented. Super Troopers offers viewers a nice, lively, colorful transfer that suits the film well.

Super Troopers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Super Troopers arrives on Blu-ray with Fox's usual DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless offering. Dialogue is strong and nicely recreated throughout the film. The track is loud but not overbearing; the music and sound effects come across with a nice bit of punch and vibrancy. Sound effects are scattered all over the soundstage, the track taking advantage of every speaker at its disposal. For example, the revving of a diesel motor in chapter 11 showcases good, clear, distinct, satisfying audio reproduction. This track does not feature an overly active surround presentation, but for a comedy, what is to be found here is more than adequate. there is a decent sense of directionality across the front as sounds follow the on-screen imagery rather well. The mix is by no means on the same level as the best of the recent avalanche of reference-grade action tracks, but it is surprisingly sufficient for a comedy.

Super Troopers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Super Troopers rolls onto Blu-ray with an assortment of supplements fan will love. Three commentaries are available, two audio tracks and one picture-in-picture offering. The first audio track features writer/actor/director/editor Jay Chandrasekhar and writer/actor Erik Stolhanske. The track is a good one, though not quite as humorous as one might expect. The pair offers a nice amount of information, though rather dryly. Those more interested in the technicalities of the production or who are fans of the participants will enjoy this one the most. Track number two features the other members of the Broken Lizard team, writers/actors Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, and Paul Soter. This track is also a bit drier than perhaps expected, more held back, but also featuring a little more humor in addition to more technical discussions about the shoot, the acting, and so on. The picture-in-picture track is a Blu-ray exclusive commentary and is uniquely presented as the five members of the Broken Lizard team, sometimes with some special guests, are superimposed over the bottom of the image, sharing their thoughts and facing the audience. It's sort of a reverse "Mystery Science Theater 3000" effect, and in full color and view, not simply silhouettes facing the screen. The track begins with the team sitting on a couch, but as the film moves on, individuals will be seen walking around the screen, for example. It's a great concept; the effect works well enough, though each individual is outlined and clearly in front of a green/blue screen, but any visual shortcomings are more than made up for by the novelty of the experience. The track is very funny, much more comical than either of the audio tracks, but the increase in humor doesn't mean a drop-off in discussion on some of the more technical aspects about the film and the process of creating it. Watch for some surprises during the track!

Stupor Troopers: The Drinking Game is next. After a disclaimer and an introduction from the Broken LIzard team, viewers are prompted to choose to play the game with one or two teams. Teams will have to handle the remote to answer trivia questions and will be prompted when to take a drink by a set of rules that appear before the movie begins. Please note that chapter skipping and fast forwarding/rewinding features are disabled during playback in conjunction with this feature. Next are a series of outtakes and extended scenes (480p, 41:20) with optional commentary from Jay Chandrasekhar and Erik Stolhanske. A feature entitled simply Featurette (480p, 6:08) is next. It plays as a narrated pseudo-documentary that focuses on the exploits of the officers as seen in the film, and includes some "interviews" with the troopers themselves. Road Trip News Wrap (480p, 1:58) looks at some of the comical and unique ways the film was promoted. This supplemental package concludes with a pair of trailers for Super Troopers (480p, 3:44) and 1080p previews for several additional Fox titles: Juno, Me, Myself & Irene, and There's Something About Mary.

Super Troopers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Super Troopers is super comedy. The film's meshing of comedic styles, cohesive look and feel thanks to the Broken Lizard team's involvement in many of the key areas of the filmmaking process, and high replay value make the film an easy bet for any admirer of good comedy. Super Troopers makes for one of those go-to, good anytime comedies, much like Office Space and Caddyshack, and this Blu-ray edition is the best way to enjoy it. Featuring a colorful and nicely detailed transfer, a fine lossless audio presentation, and some fantastic supplements, particularly the novel picture-in-picture commentary track, this disc is worthy of a spot in every Super Troopers fan's Blu-ray collection. Easily recommended.