21 and Over – The Concordian

The new year brought new regulations surrounding cannabis consumption in Quebec.

In order to circulate the information, the government recently released an ad, in which you see two men, a younger and older one, about to smoke a joint. An off-camera voice interrupts them just as they are about to light it up, informing them that the law has changed and that you now have to be 21 to legally consume weed.

Then, Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo! The joint disappeared from the youngest’s hand, who then shrugs his shoulders, candidly smiles and casually leaves. The desire to smoke just simply goes away, because “it’s against the law.”

Tell me, do you know anyone under 21, especially in a country where specific drugs are legal, who would simply agree to give up their drugs because now “it’s the law”?

What Premier François Legault seems to have missed with these new regulations targeting the younger generation is that before the legalization, kids were smoking and they will continue to do so, even if the law has been changed.

What they will do now is turn to a product that they don’t know the contents of, how it got produced and what it will help finance. It goes against the very purpose of weed legalization.

Legalization was meant to control and provide a safe product, to reduce addiction, fight off the black market, and protect our kids. Additionally, it allowed families to bring up the subject and include everyone at the table.

The ad perfectly showcases another problem in our society, which shows how we expect parents to silence the subject to simply make it go away.

Once again, Legault shows a deeply toxic boomer mentality where patronization replaces education. Our society considers people as adults at 18 years old — you can drink at 18 — but Lord helps us, one cannot touch marijuana until they are 21.

But don’t worry, the joint will magically disappear and no one will need to talk about the reasoning behind such a decision.

Graphic by Victoria Blair

21 and Over revolves around a group of guys on a partying journey, but this isn’t The Hangover. One of the characters has an important event to attend the next morning and is the subject of many troubles, but this isn’t The Hangover. There are a lot of naked people, alcohol and drugs involved, but THIS IS NOT The Hangover.

Now, we are not going to waste time pretending this movie aspired to Oscar contention, which it would have obviously failed miserably at. For the purpose it serves, the movie could be considered decent, bringing a few smiles, but still feels too recycled. 21 and Over’s storyline is simplistic: Jeff Chang, a promising med student who is played by Justin Chon, gets a surprise visit from his two longtime friends Casey (Skylar Astin) and Miller (Miles Teller), on his 21st birthday. With one of the most important interviews of his life scheduled for the next morning, Chang agrees to a quiet celebration with the pair. Festivities quickly get out of hand, turning into a night of debauchery and depravity.

Whereas recent movies like The Hangover and Project X have relied on either memorable lines and performances or insanely over the top attitude, 21 and Over wanders in the middle, not knowing where to stand. Instead of being a non-stop ride of laughs, it’s few funny scenes, which are essentially summed up in the trailer, come up almost carelessly, here and there. And when it tries to bring up more serious subjects, it never gets to the bottom of it. As for the cast, the main actors have previously endorsed similar roles: Teller as a party animal in Project X and Astin as the nice guy next door in Pitch Perfect. Chon, while unconscious for the better part of the movie, brings a funny twist and harmony to the group with his first major role.

21 and Over matches whatever low expectations the trailer had allowed us to prepare for. It brings nothing new to the table, and while you maintain the hope of being surprised by exciting writers, you quickly sober up and become aware of the silence in the screening room. The movie scrapes whatever was left of The Hangover‘s vomit-covered cutting room floor, but still doesn’t manage to get any substance. Instead, we are thrown in the middle of clichéd frat parties, getting forever wilder and yet still serving as a reference for prospective college students.

We are chasing Jeff Chang throughout the whole movie, without ever getting anywhere. “Did we just kill Jeff Chang, again?” might be the quote which sums up 21 and Over the best, more specifically, its repetitiveness and lack of interest. Dear viewers, save yourselves that Cheapy Tuesday ticket, and go rent a comedy more worthy of your money. 21 Jump Street, I Love You, Man, Mystery Team, to name only a few, ensure that you can still turn your brain off and keep laughing.