New in Theaters: "21 and Over" Lacks Originality

Here are some of the ingredients that went into making the new film 21 and Over:

Two writers from The Hangover (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who also serve as co-directors)
The "We Killed Kenny" joke from South Park
An actor of Asian descent (Justin Chon), who provides outlandish humor, like Ken Joeng from The Hangover
Absurd sexual situations that pay homage to the American Pie film series
Raucous shenanigans reminiscent of Project X
Countless stereotypical ethnic jokes that will surely offend some viewers
Plenty of male nudity, but a complete lack of female nudity!

Mix all of those ingredients together and add virtually nothing original and you have a movie, albeit not a very good one. 21 and Over centers around a night of partying between friends Jeff (Justin Chon), Casey (Skylar Astin) and Miller (Miles Teller), who are celebrating Jeff's 21st birthday. As the night wears on, Jeff becomes completely drunk and engages in out of control behavior until he passes out, leaving Miller and Casey to take care of him. Unfortunately, after bar hopping for several hours, the guys realize that they are lost and spend the duration of the evening trying to get Jeff home in time for a college interview the next morning. Their night of debauchery features gunplay, breaking into a sorority and pissing off just about everyone who comes into their lives.

While 21 and Over is not a film I would recommend, it is entertaining, at least for those who are not easily offended by the many off color and sometimes unnecessary jokes and innuendo. To my surprise, I found myself laughing repeatedly throughout the film, as the trio continue to dig a hole for themselves that they may never emerge safely from. To their credit, the young actors seem to take it all in stride and appear perfectly natural in their respective roles, which requires dealing with some uncomfortable situations, including baring almost all in multiple scenes. Overall, there is next to nothing original here, but for those viewers who are up for 90 minutes of mindless entertainment, 21 and Over may be just what you are looking for. Not that there is anything wrong with that.