21 & Over

From the brilliant writers of Old School (2003) and The Hangover (2009), comes a college-set comedy about the raucous life of college partying and the debauchery that ensues. This film follows college students Miller and Casey (played by Miles Teller and Skylar Astin), who hope to take their friend Jeff Chang (played by Justin Chon) out for a drink for his 21st birthday. Chang is initially reluctant as he has an interview of medical school the following day set by his hard-nose dad Mr. Chang. Ultimately, Jeff accepts and goes out for a wild night at the bar with his friends. However, what was supposed to a quick night of a few drinks unexpectedly turns into a night of endless debauchery when the Jeff Chang becomes passed out drunk and Miller and Casey cannot remember where he lives.

While this movie isn't anything original as it follows nearly the same plot as The Hangover, a group of friends who get wasted, lose one of their friends and can't remember what happened the previous night, it surprisingly still brought out the laughs and humor the writers of The Hangover have been made known for. I certainly can't say this rises near the level of The Hangover however. The humor and the dialogue are not as inspired or funny, some of the sex jokes here feel a bit forced and over-the-top, most of which come out of the mouth of Miles Teller's character. There is also a rather heavy use of gross-out humor, the scene in the bathroom at the sorority house, for an example. Then there are some moments that are quite a bit clever. Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, and Justin Chon show some great comedic chemistry with each other. Teller plays Miller who is quite vulgar and raucous, despite the chaos that ensues during their night, while Skylar Astin plays Casey who is more smart and more serious about the situations that takes place. Then Chon who's character spends the majority of the film passed out and heavily intoxicated, subconscious of everything that goes on.

21 & Over is a worthy movie for comedy fans. However, this film could have been better if it wasn't too similar to The Hangover series. Overall, it made me laugh and it had some good moments in it.

Watched "21 and Over" last night at an advanced screening so sharing a review for those wondering about it.

If you should use other films/media to describe "21 and Over", it is like a combination of "Hang Over", "American Pie", and "Jackass". If describing in one sentence, "21 and Over" is stupid drunkenness or drunk galore? It is an enjoyable film and I would recommend it for those who enjoy dirty slapstick humor and just college craziness. I wouldn't feel the need to watch this film again and it isn't an Oscar nominee type of film, but If you like watching drunk people, this film is for you.

I admit, I like watching this type of films from time to time, but a big reason I was interested in this film was because I liked the writers' Jon Lucas and Scott Moore's other pieces, the popular "Hang Over" film series and "Change Up". I did assume that "21 and Over" would be structured and directed just like "Hang Over but "21 and Over" does not have the story-telling abilities that "Hang Over" has nor are the story, plot, resolution, and characters anywhere as interesting. One's own experiences and perspectives change with age, and Lucas and Moore are out of touch with the current 20s generation as the dialogue, story development, and characters in "21 and Over" are old, clichéd, and stereotypical.

The movie took a while to pick up the pace. Surprisingly and thankfully Jeff Chang is not the main focus in this film, nothing against the actors (these newcomers did a great job), but the supposed main character burned through his drinking and bar scenes early on in a series of montages.

Some of the likable aspects of this movie are the timing of the stunts and how outrageous the stunts are. When it seemed like the film would end soon or run out of tricks, the characters' rolling ball of chaos just got bigger and bigger. The stunts pulled now a day for slapstick humor are getting more outrageous and openly, visually sexual. If nothing, Lucas and Moore get kudos for fresh stunts. Perhaps they spent the time they were supposed to use for brainstorming dialogue and story development, watching "Jackass" instead.

In the end this film is still enjoyable because it's not like this film's audience watches these kinds of films for the dialogue nor accurate representation of cultural identities. All that matters is that the slapstick stunts and moderate dirtiness of the film is enough to not leave a silent house. For sure, the high school kids during the advanced screening got a kick out of it, hoping their college life can be that fun? Crazy at least.

Review by WendyXS@FeiXiangFilms

I remember when I watched this movie back then in 2013, I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt. It was the funniest movie I had ever watched, and now that I have watched it for the second time after 10 years in 2023, it is still amazing and funny. Despite the negative reviews it received from some critics, it is a wonderful movie, and you won't regret watching it. And you will enjoy every minute of it. The film is suitable for anyone who likes comedy and wants to have a good time, and the end of the movie made me feel nostalgic for the good old days, and I wish they would make a sequel. Because it is one of my favorites.

"21 and Over" is like a 21st Century version of "Animal House" and "Porky's" - only this one comes with a bit of a social conscience, as befits the times we live in.

Miles Teller, Skylar Astin. and Justin Chon play buddies from childhood, now ending their time in college, who reunite to celebrate the 21st birthday of one of them, Jeff Chang (Chon). Astin's Casey is the stuffed shirt who's already on the fast track to a career on Wall Street after he graduates; Chon's Jeff is the stressed-out A-student whose dad is pressuring him to ace a med school interview the next day; and Teller's Miller is the Stiffler-type wise-ass who refuses to grow up, convinced that the only life worth living is one patterned after the "American Pie" movies.

Against their better judgment, Astin and Teller- take Chon out for a celebratory bender, resulting in what anyone with any knowledge of how these things customarily work out in the movies can plainly predict. Yet, beyond all the drinking, brawling, sex rituals and generalized pandemonium, "21 and Over" actually has some poignant things to say about friendship and finding that fine line between becoming a mature adult and selling out to a life devoid of fun and joy. Luckily, the screenplay by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (who also directed the film together) doesn't overdo it in the moralizing department, neatly balancing the insights with a steady stream of ultra-crass frat-boy hijinks. The movie even has some fun skewering the misogyny and sexual double standards that prevail among some of the male youth of today.

The movie is helped immeasurably by the performers who bring both humor and heart to the proceedings. They make the nonsense not only bearable but actually quite enjoyable at times.

21 & Over (2013)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Friends Miller (Miles Teller) and Casey (Shylar Astin) show up to Jeff Chang's (Justin Chon) house to take him out for his 21st birthday. The only problem is that he has a major interview in the morning but they talk him into kicking back a few, which turns into a disastrous night with too much alcohol and too many problems. 21 & OVER is the latest comedy about teens drinking too much while trying to have a few laughs and of course looking to get some action. Overall this is a fairly decent comedy since there are plenty of laughs but there's no question that it falls well short of becoming a classic and it's probably going to be forgotten by the time the next film in the genre hits. I think a lot of the credit has to go to the three lead actors as all of them fit their roles nicely and I think they're entertaining enough to where we can spend 90-minutes with them without getting bored. The film starts off a bit slow but once the "issues" start to happen the film finally picks up. One such issue turns this into a WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S for drunks. Basically Chang passes out and his friends have to carry him around from one location to the next while trying to figure out where he lives. While all of the laughs don't work, I think a good number of them do. Obviously this is a R-rated comedy so we get a lot of dirty humor but this is where the film works its best. There's a hilarious scene at a prep rally, a good long-running joke dealing with a Mexican sorority house and of course there are the various subplots that the guys get into over their drunk friend. Where the film doesn't work as well is when it tries to turn a bit more serious and look at "growing up" issues. I think those issues would have been served much better in a film that wasn't about being drunk and dumb. Still, fans of the genre will get enough laughs out of the film to make it worth sitting through.