“21 and Over” – Is It Worth Watching?

Set in a frolicking and fun-filled background, the recent movie 21 and Over is a familiar joke. This is the latest release from screenwriters Scott Moore and Jon Lucas. The movie is about University students, Skylar Austin, Miles Teller and Justin Chon, who reunite after 3 long years for celebrating their friend’s 21^st birthday. The entire movie captures hilarious moods through the infusion of adult and teenage comedies.  

This is the first time that Moore and Lucas are giving direction to their script. However, there are some major issues in this movie. It lacks the social commentary of Harold and Kumar movies, poignancy of Superbad and distinctive humor of The Hangover. Moore and Lucas hoped to produce fits of laughter through this movie but all in vain. The feeling of insecurity and powerlessness of the two writers is what prevented humor from being displayed onscreen.

A majority of the humor showcased in this movie is predictable and not candid. How much is the movie liked by people? Well, there is a dilemma with respect to its likeness between critics and audience. Only 27 percent of the viewers actually liked the film. But this movie failed to set a mark amongst experts who are knowledgeable with cinema.

Common people responded in a much better way, giving some hope to the writers. The critics have found certain inconsistencies in this comedy movie which have deprived it from the charisma of its story line  The two casts whose performance is worth mentioning are Chon and Teller. All the other casts are like leave-it or take-it types.

In direction of “21 and Over,” both the directors have taken scatter shot approach which has succeeded and also failed in the same manner. Some scenes are projected as montages which made some sense while there are other scenes which seemed like awkward efforts made by the directors for livening up its plot. This only created an illusion that the onscreen display is much more exhilarating than it actually was.  

The movie has occasional tonal problem when there was a transition from madcap to saccharine and sincere. The main casts suffer to gain repercussion for their deceitful stunts. At times, it appeared as if these characters are resolving their problems in a pretty swift manner, thereby lacking in creating a significant emotional effect upon the audience.

What makes the movie unforgettable to the audience is its good nature. This movie has the usual stints of adult party but is conducted very speedily. Why has the movie failed to capture the remarks of critics? The film failed to arrest the rave remarks of critics because of its predictable comedy sequences. These sequences dumped the efforts of the entire flick.

This movie got a R rating for its graphic nudity, sexual and crude content, drinking and drugs as well as pervasive language. Watch it and judge it for yourself!

Author’s Bio: David Jones is a movie buff and an entertainment blogger. Through his blog, he keeps readers updated with the latest movies released. He recommends DISH television packages to watch recent movie releases.