21 & Over

This film is about the first 24 hours of a straight A student's 21st birthday.

"21 & Over" is a toned down college version of "The Hangover". The plot is very similar to "The Hangover", and it is wearing thin. Though the parties are ridiculous and the alcohol is plentiful, we all know what will happen and hence the plot does not have the same entertaining effect as the first time around. Fortunately, the subplot of testing the strained friendship and standing up for oneself is a bit refreshing, so "21 & Over" sets itself as slightly different from its parent clone. The Asian female student who swears a lot is the most memorable character, and she deserves a special mention. Her one minute of screen time is so unexpectedly crazy! "21 & Over" is an average comedy, if judged on its own merit. But please, enough with the "The Hangover" clones.

If the "The Hangover" and "Project X" were fused together to make one new film, the result would be "21 and Over." From the same writers of the Hangover, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, "21 and Over" is a film that taps into the college demographic by concentrating on some of the issues that affect a lot of students throughout the United States — binge drinking, beer pong games, sex and parties.

This comedy follows three best friends who have fallen out of touch since graduating from high school and transitioning into college. They try to meet up on important occasions, in this case Jeff Chang's (Justin Chon) birthday.

Jeff Chang is finally turning 21 and with that age his best friends, Casey (Skylar Astin) and Miller (Miles Teller), believe comes a new stage in Chang's life; one filled with alcohol and girls.

Chang is a straight-A student who is preparing for an upcoming interview to gain admittance to medical school. In addition to his med school interview, Chang has to worry about his strict father who expects him to follow his family's legacy in becoming a doctor.

For his 21st birthday, Casey and Miller surprise him and take him on a night out. Chang agrees to go out on the condition that they only go for a few drinks and then return home.

They start the night off with a round of drinks, but soon enough begin club hopping, drinking alcohol everywhere they go. The night takes an unexpected turn when Jeff Chang becomes unresponsive after overdrinking.

Following the same formula used in "The Hangover," "21 and Over" attempts to win audiences over by using a lot of crude humor including many physical jokes.

Miles Teller (Miller) takes most of the spotlight with his straightforward dialogue and comedic timing. Justin Chon (Jeff Chang) further pushes the comedy bar with his use of physical humor. Skylar Astin (Casey) plays the typical preppy and awkward sidekick.

Even with a pleasant cast, the film fails to present anything original or creative. While it offers a few laughs, too many scenes are either lackluster, or exaggerated, and some of the humor is forced.

"The Hangover" was much more imaginative than "21 and Over," which has fewer plot twists and a rushed ending.

Even worse, the film reinforces all possible stereotypes including the smart Asian, the party alcoholic white male, crazy Latinas, and out of control college students.

The film is far from a masterpiece. However, if one day after a long day of class or work you simply want to have a few brainless laughs with friends, then "21 and Over" may be the movie for you.

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.

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.

"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.