Even before the opening credits end, it’s obvious "21 and Over" is simply "The Hangover: The College Years." Characters in various states of bruised dishevelment (the twist? This time, they’re only wearing tube socks, which aren't on their feet) mutter and grumble about how some vaguely described antics could’ve happened, then cue credit sequence featuring shots of our locale. Even the credit’s fonts are the same.

It probably wouldn’t surprise you to find out that the writer-director team behind "21 and Over," Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, also wrote "The Hangover." It also probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that the debauchery-loaded college comedy is casually racist and sexist with a touch of gay panic thrown in for good measure. At least it’s an equal opportunity offender.

What would probably surprise you is that despite all of these issues – which include some shoddy editing and an overabundance of driving/walking/carting montages – "21 and Over" is still pretty entertaining. The movie delivers enough laughs for those walking in wanting dumb fun hijinks, and for those of a more critical mindset, it makes for a not-horribly-guilty pleasure.

Miles Teller (Willard from the recent "Footloose" remake and a dead ringer for Shia LaBeouf) and Skylar Astin from "Pitch Perfect" play Miller and Casey, two old high school friends – one wild and crazy, the other future-focused – taking their pal Jeff Chang (Justin Chon) out on the town for his 21st birthday. Jeff has an important medical interview the next day, set up by his demanding dad, so they vow to make it a quick night, much to the chagrin of the over-caffeinated Miller.

The fellas have a few beers and get Jeff Chang back home before midnight, in a surprisingly honest look at the current college generation, their hectic lifestyle and their concerns for the future.

Nah. The guys’ plan for one beer turns into multiple beers and several shots, leaving Jeff Chang in a drunken coma and the lead duo lost on a strange campus – which, judging from the female extras wandering around, appears to be Maxim Model University. Shenanigans follow, including going afoul of the local Latina sorority and a trio of overzealous male cheerleaders.

Lucas and Moore hew rather closely to the formula that made "The Hangover" the highest grossing R-rated comedy in history. Thankfully, they do so without becoming frustratingly predictable (like the monster hit’s enraging sequel).

The antics – ranging from rampaging buffalo to Jeff Chang scampering around the campus wearing nothing but a bra and a well-placed teddy bear – are dumb but silly fun that elicits more laughs than not. However, the film succeeds the most when the humor is based on real experiences – the excitement of turning 21, the absurd competitiveness of party games – rather than ridiculous ones.

The cast is a crucial part of the film’s moderate success. Teller and Astin play off one another with an entertaining snap. Even weird tangential conversations, like a brief discussion about Joseph Gordon-Levitt, are amusing because of the guys’ zippy banter. Chon doesn’t get as much screen time as his compatriots – at least conscious – but his goofy energy and exuberance during the film’s early, less drunken trips to the bar are a highlight.

Most importantly, the three amigos at the film’s core actually feel like friends and enjoyable people to be around. Too many comedies stick people together who frustrate and detest one another. If the characters don’t want to spend time with each other, why would the audience? Instead, "21 and Over" gives the audience some fun guys to hang with, which also helps when the script attempts to create some depth and build some actual drama. It feels lived-in rather than shoved in.

I still wouldn’t say "21 and Over" is a good movie. There’s plenty of issues to be had, including the film’s frustratingly entitled mindset that college is a time for partying rather than preparing, as though merely the act of going to college will earn a person a job rather than learning, working and interning. A character is even shamed for having a job lined up, as though that’s a bad thing.

Consider "21 and Over" the light beer of comedies: It may not be the most unique or best of brews, but for cheap satisfaction, it gets the job done.