Mean-Spirited Cops Via the Broken Lizard Group

There’s nothing super about “Super Troopers” except for those deep into the low end of the frat-house mentality that equates smart-alecky with hilarity. Since that exception could just prove to be pretty sizable at the box office, it’s scary to ponder that just when it looked like the “Police Academy” franchise was dead and buried, a bunch of goonish Vermont law enforcement officers might rise up to take their place. At least the first couple of “Police Academy” pictures were as funny as they were good-natured.

“Good-natured” is a phrase that does not apply to “Super Troopers.” The five-man comedy group Broken Lizard plays state troopers stationed along a highway running through a small Vermont town who are engaged in a turf war with the local cops that escalates in the course of the film. There’s a lot at stake for the troopers, whose station is vulnerable to elimination via cost-cutting.

The local boys in blue are just as oafish as the troopers, and neither side will stop at anything to make their rivals look bad. In the meantime, the troopers are a menace to all who cross their paths. There’s a nastiness in their nonstop pranks that derives from the fact they are empowered by their uniforms and weapons. The worst of the lot is a seriously overweight maniac named Farva (Kevin Heffernan). Never mind that one instance of his brutality is caught on a surveillance tape, for all Farva gets is a slap on the wrist by his commanding officer (Brian Cox, a brilliant actor in unfortunate circumstances).

When a corpse and load of marijuana pop up, the troopers see their big chance to prove their worth and save their jobs--if they can beat the cops in solving the case.

The film’s only mildly amusing moments are provided by people other than members of Broken Lizard. Andre Vippolis, Joey Kern and Geoffrey Arend are a trio of amiable zanies as stoned fraternity boys who have the misfortune of being stopped by Trooper Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar, who also directed).

Phillip Brenninkmeyer and Maria Tornberg supply some extravagant European decadence as a wildly uninhibited German couple. Still looking like Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter cameos as Vermont’s governor.

“Super Troopers” is being released through Fox Searchlight, 20th Century Fox’s “classics” division, possibly because the studio hopes it has another male bonding comedy hit on its hands like “The Full Monty,” but “Super Troopers” comes up empty.

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MPAA rating: R, for language, sexual content and drug use. Times guidelines. The film is inappropriate for children.

‘Super Troopers’

Jay Chandrasekhar ... Trooper Thorny

Kevin Heffernan ... Trooper Farva

Steve Lemme ... Trooper Mac

Paul Soter ... Trooper Foster

Erik Stolhanske ... Trooper Rabbit

A Fox Searchlight Pictures release of a Jersey Shore production in association with Cataland Films and Arpad Productions of a Broken Lizard film. Director Jay Chandrasekhar. Producer Richard Perello. Executive producer Peter E. Lengyel. Screenplay by Broken Lizard. Cinematographer Joaquin Baca-Asay. Editors Jacob Craycroft, Jumbulingam. Music 38 Special. Costumes Melissa Bruning. Production designer Ben Conable. Art director Johnny Hardesty. Set decorator Jocelyn Mason.

Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

In general release.