STARRING: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske and Marisa Coughlan

Filmmaking runs in my family . . . or at least the desire for filmmaking. In high school, my brother-in-law grabbed a Super-8 camera and shot his buddies chasing each other around in golf carts for a scruffy parody of the TV show "S.W.A.T." (Let’s see a show of hands from everyone who remembers that Nielsen postscript . . . yes, we are definitely dating ourselves now). Several years later, I followed in his footsteps by offering my take on a white-trash version of "Ghostbusters."

"Super Troopers" is light-hearted and silly. It's a frat party caught on film.

Both efforts were punctuated by cheap jokes, bad acting, and amateurish attempts at stunt driving. There was also a clear indication that no matter how inept our endeavors, all involved were having a good time desperately trying to make the audience laugh. This statement doesn’t just apply to our earnest stabs at filmmaking; it’s also a pretty accurate description of "Super Troopers."

Now neither my film or my brother-in-law’s ever got farther than a premiere in the family living room, but if a bunch of sweet-natured chuckleheads like Broken Lizard (the brains (?) behind "Super Troopers") can make it to the big screen then maybe there’s still hope for us. Dumb stunts, raunchy humor and sight gags galore highlight this goofball comedy about irreverent state troopers patrolling a stretch of Vermont highway near the Canadian border.

The troopers are about to lose their jobs due to budget cuts unless they can raise their profile with some serious busts. When murder and drug smuggling hit their turf, our cocky coppers see their chance. But they’ve got some intense competition from the local police who want to collar the crooks themselves. Along the way to solving the case, our boys in blue (I mean tan) play jokes on drivers, go for joyrides with impounded cars, drink a lot of beer and take every opportunity to humiliate the local constabulary.

There’s not a lot of originality here, but what is refreshing is how the troopers are the instigators of pranks rather than the targets. We’ve seen so many movies where we laugh at cops; it’s kind of fun to be laughing with them for a change. Unfortunately, the gags are fired off so willy-nilly that not all of them hit the bullseye. The ones that do register are truly inspired, especially when the troopers are intimidating unsuspecting motorists.

"Super Troopers" is not high quality, just empty-headed fun.

"Super Troopers" is light-hearted and silly, a frat party caught on film (but one of those nice frats that respects women and doesn’t do kinky shit with livestock). It’s as if the rowdy brothers of "Animal House" finally graduated and found jobs in law enforcement. "Super Troopers" was conceived and written by the five members of Broken Lizard, an up-and-coming comedy troupe along the lines of a Monty Python (if they were into hot dogs, chicks and beer). Their previous efforts include film festival favorites "The Tinfoil Monkey Agenda" and "Puddle Cruiser."

They all star in the movie and group founder Jay Chandrasekhar also directed the flick (he also helmed "Puddle Cruiser" as well as a couple episodes of Fox TV’s wonderful, but under-appreciated, "Undeclared"). While Broken Lizard created the film as an ensemble, some members stand out more than others do. Steve Lemme is a comic live wire as the daredevil Mac and Kevin Heffernan is hilarious as the hot-tempered dumb ass Farva. Heffernan nails that cringe-worthy character that we all know: the doofus who thinks he’s a stud.

Some of the jokes are truly inspired, especially in scenes where the troopers intimidate unsuspecting motorists

Non-Broken Lizards in the cast include Marisa Coughlan ("Freddy Got Fingered") as a cutie cop, Brian Cox ("Rushmore") as the troopers’ captain, and Daniel Van Bargen ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") as the local police chief. There’s also a cameo by Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter. I’ll refrain from dating myself further by asking who out there can claim Carter as their first celebrity crush. I’ll just say that she was awfully cute — and oh so patriotic — in those red, white and blue tights.

It’s strange to see actors like Cox and Van Bargen leapfrog from prestigious flicks like "O Brother" to madcap B-list frolics like "Super Troopers," but everyone’s got bills to pay, I guess. If Cox is slumming, however, his performance doesn’t show it. This normally subdued thespian (who recently won praise for a challenging role in the indie drama "L.I.E." and played Hannibal Lecter in "Manhunter," the character’s first film appearance) shows a real flair for comedy when he cuts loose in one of this movie’s funniest scenes. Perhaps Cox felt liberated by the free spirits in his company.

"Super Troopers" is not high quality, just empty-headed fun. And you know, not every movie has to be a contender. Sometimes, guys chugging maple syrup and pretending to have sex with a bear can be enough for an entertaining night at the movies. Who knows how well this thing will do at the box office, but I can see it becoming a video staple at keg parties for years to come.