The Hangover Part II - Review

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Ult_Sm86
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The Hangover Part II - Review

Post by Ult_Sm86 »

The Hangover Part II
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jamie Chung, & Mason Lee
Rated: R
Legendary Pictures/Green Hat Films/Warner Bros. Pictures

(**.5 Stars)


Todd Phillips and the rest of the Hangover crew tried to prove that they hadn't just caught lightning in the bottle, but they had in fact caught a storm. The widespread, overnight success of The Hangover made the very thought of a sequel delicious and exciting. Unfortunately, they could not live up to the hype. Hangover Part II is exactly what the title says. It is no more than extension of the first film to the point where it is practically a carbon-copy. The plot is replicated, the scenarios, the themes, even most of the characters endure the same terrible fates they had in what is now Part I.


It is so unfortunate to sit through this movie and constantly be reminded of the previous film. The lack of departure from the first film and the absence of an attempt to be original is more of a slap in the face to the fans. Not only are Phil (Cooper), Stu (Helms), and Alan (Galifianakis) in the exact same scenario as before, hungover without a single idea as to what is going on or what they had done the night previously, but the only real curveballs the writers/director chose to throw at the audience is location and secondary characters.


Rather than wasting another trip in Vegas, the gang decide (after much debate from Phil) to include Alan in Stu and Lauren's upcoming wedding in Thailand. The night before the wedding is a hilarious mess. The bride's father has absolutely zero respect for poor Stu and compares him to a Thai rice dish, bland and used to complete other dishes. Depressed and in need of a pick-me-up, the "WolfPack" get together on a beach to roast marshmallows, share some beers, and just relax. They allow Lauren's much younger brother Teddy (who is a med student and has championed the cello) to sit down and share some beers with them.


The next morning The WolfPack, minus Doug (again) and Teddy, awake in a run-down Bangcock hotel. The rest of the movie from there is the same as Part I. The crew try to piece together what happened while trying to remain patient with Alan's moronic antics. The let down is that it really boils down to the exact same movie, right down to trying to find the missing buddy (in this case, Teddy).


In retrospect, the 2009 comedy Adventureland brings up a very valid point. To paraphrase: "Yeah they're the greatest Def Leppard cover band ever, but the problem is they're the greatest Def Leppard cover band ever." The same argument can be applied to this film. Hangover Part II may be just like Hangover Part I but it shouldn't have been. It should be its own film and by not attempting to be, it can never be funnier or even as funny as the first film because it's not trying to be.


This is not to say you won't laugh. There are surely some great comedic moments and the timing of the actors as well as the chemistry between them is just as good this time around as it was before. Galifianakis ups the ante in just about every scene he is in and once again proves to be a scene-stealer. The unfortunate return of Ken Jeong's character Chow is upsetting and may leave the audience feeling beaten over the head or taken advantage of. His role in the first film was just enough, small enough to laugh at him and long enough to understand how annoying the character was to the Wolfpack. Unfortunately majority of Part II involves one of Chow's illegal arms/drug deals gone bad.


This movie is passable. It just slides by on merit and principle. There are genuinely funny lines and while the ending seems rushed and written five days before release, the general lead-up to it isn't totally wrong. The film is surely more raw than the first and perhaps that's one of the more obnoxious facets. The film was already crude enough before it didn't need a Part 2 to make things grosser. But they don't hold back at all and if you liked Part 1 you're not going to totally hate this movie. You'll either be ecstatic or be completely let down, but you will far from hate on it. As for the anti-Hangover fans, I can promise you this film is no better so save yourself the money and go see something you will enjoy.
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