Movie Review: The Hangover Part II
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- Category: Blogs
- Created: Thursday, 26 May 2011 09:29
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 November 2013 06:27
- Written by Lupe Haas
The 2009 sleeper hit comedy by director Todd Philipps worked because movie audiences go on a journey with the men in discovering what happened to them the night before. Todd Philipps once again brings those same elements to the sequel starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis. While many will complain it's merely a copycat of the first Hangover, but in a different city, the formula works once again in THE HANGOVER PART II, although it runs a bit too long.
In THE HANGOVER PART II, it's two years after the disastrous Las Vegas bachelor party. Stu (Ed Helms), now divorced from his hateful wife, is set to remarry a young beautiful woman played by Sucker Punch's Jamie Chung whose family lives in Thailand. Stu specifically forbids any sort of bachelor party before his marriage in Thailand. But there wouldn't be a sequel unless something goes wrong two days before Stu's wedding. The groom and his friends end up in Bangkok's seedy part of town where someone has been misplaced, someone loses a finger, and Stu ends up with a Mike Tyson-inspired facial tattoo.
The sequel definitely has some good laugh out loud moments thanks entirely to Zach Galifianakis who is the Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) of The Hangover movies. If it weren't for Johnny Depp's Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean, the franchise would've ended with the first film. THE HANGOVER PART II is like that. While you're watching essentially the same story in the sequel, it's characters like Alan and the chemistry between the three stars that keeps you entertained. As Alan, Zach is a lot more funnier in this film and given some of the best lines in the sequel. Ken Jeong also adds flavor to the cast with a bigger role and a nude scene more awkward than the first. But that scene proves to be the less shocking part of the movie.
As the Hangover crew retrace their steps in Bangkok, the story gets raunchier by the minute --starting with a monkey that mysteriously appears in their hotel room. As they find clues to locations they visited the night before, the men end up in a seedy stripper bar where things get ugly as shocking revelations come out involving male genitalia. Let's just say this scene is one audiences were feeling the pain along with the characters as they are finding out the sordid details. This scene definitly shocked audiences and didn't see it coming. Nothing has been so shocking since Borat when Sacha Baron Coen bared it all with Ken Davitian -- maybe worse.
Their adventure goes on a little too long after the shocking scene. Nothing that came after that could compare so it feels too dragged out by the time we get to the end. The only highlight is a surprise cameo that has the celebrity singing -- out of tune -- of course.
Known for his buddy comedies, director Todd Philipps (Old School, Road Trip) delivers another raunchy romp for the Hangover guys. The women in the film, however, have no real purpose except as center pieces for the male stars. Phil's wife (Cooper) accompanies her husband to Thailand but they have ten seconds of interaction. You're asking yourself why bother bringing her along. The first Hangover at least had Heather Graham coming into the scene. Perhaps Crystal the monkey was meant to represent the female in the film. Stu's bride-to-be (Chung) also seems way too young for Stu and it's never addressed in the film which could've made a good punchline. But I don't think audiences are going to this movie to see strong women roles. Check out Kristen Wiig's Bridesmaids for that.
THE HANGOVER PART II is a good time at the movie. Just don't expect originality in the story except some new outrageous moments that either has you cringing or laughing or both.
THE HANGOVER PART II is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.
