21 and Over - Movie Review

Jon Lucas and Scott Moore are the guys that wrote The Hangover and now they have written and directed another alcohol fueled adventure for audiences to enjoy. After hitting the jackpot in Vegas, the writing team looks to make the grade by taking their hilarious hi-jinks to a college campus where parties and 21 runs can become the stuff of legend.

While college student Jeff Chang (Justin Chon) is planning to celebrate his 21st birthday by going to bed early so her will be ready for a medical school exam, long time friends Miller (Miles Teller) and Casey (Skylar Astin) show up unannounced with plans to bring him out for a night they will never forget. Jeff Chang reluctantly agrees and, after a slow start, the party kicks into high gear as shots become the order of the night.

That's really all you need to know about this story as you can imagine where things go from here. While similar movies fall into predictability and lame jokes and tired formulas, 21 and Over brings non stop laughs with setups and scenarios that keep the party going all the way through the 93 minute run time. There are plenty of shock value jokes served up for the audience to enjoy and a refreshing lack of things that would normally being this type of movie to a screeching halt like unnecessary character development and excessive exposition.

If you expect me to discuss the nuances of minor plot details and the subtleties of the acting performances then you can stop right here and go read someone else's review. This movie might be about a group of friends coming to terms with their friendship and what the future holds as they each prepare for major changes in their lives, but it is also a kick ass party movie that will have you laughing from beginning to end.

Oh, and for my local Washingtonian readers, the college used for filming this movie is none other than the University of Washington campus. If you are at all familiar with the area, you will have fun trying to recognize all the bars, streets, and campus landmarks the guys visit over the course of the night. No matter where you live, 21 and Over is a movie you will enjoy watching...unless, of course, you don't like to have fun.