Release Date: May 26, 2011
Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong.
Apparently, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, as the boys are back in “The Hangover: Part II.” Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis—aka ‘The Wolfpack’—are now in Bangkok in celebration of Stu’s (Helms) impending wedding to his new fiancée. Following the escapades of their previously ill-fated bachelor party, Stu is reasonably opposed to reliving that experience for a second time. But as the aforementioned title rightfully implies, things go awry and pandemonium ensues…again. Director Todd Phillips returns behind the lens and script to duplicate the success of his highest-grossing, R-rated comedy of all time. By sticking to the same formula, he manages to achieve this feat with little to no hitch, offering up another surefire comedy. But in doing so, we get a thin replica full of flaws, instead of a legitimate sequel worth viewing. While the antics are crazier than ever, the familiarity of sequences hinders any chance of progression or maturity that the characters could have had since the first outing. It’s hard to empathize with Galifianakis’ character, Alan, when he seems to have learned absolutely nothing from his previous screw-ups. Justin Bartha, on the other hand, is cast aside once more, which is a shame because he could have added something new to the mix. Apart from location changes and animal substitutions, “Part II” results in an exact carbon copy of the first, only with less originality and surprise. Though “Part III” may not be any different, the ‘Wolfpack’ does still have one eligible bachelor left to initiate. And that in itself could be worth seeing.
Apparently, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, as the boys are back in “The Hangover: Part II.” Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis—aka ‘The Wolfpack’—are now in Bangkok in celebration of Stu’s (Helms) impending wedding to his new fiancée. Following the escapades of their previously ill-fated bachelor party, Stu is reasonably opposed to reliving that experience for a second time. But as the aforementioned title rightfully implies, things go awry and pandemonium ensues…again. Director Todd Phillips returns behind the lens and script to duplicate the success of his highest-grossing, R-rated comedy of all time. By sticking to the same formula, he manages to achieve this feat with little to no hitch, offering up another surefire comedy. But in doing so, we get a thin replica full of flaws, instead of a legitimate sequel worth viewing. While the antics are crazier than ever, the familiarity of sequences hinders any chance of progression or maturity that the characters could have had since the first outing. It’s hard to empathize with Galifianakis’ character, Alan, when he seems to have learned absolutely nothing from his previous screw-ups. Justin Bartha, on the other hand, is cast aside once more, which is a shame because he could have added something new to the mix. Apart from location changes and animal substitutions, “Part II” results in an exact carbon copy of the first, only with less originality and surprise. Though “Part III” may not be any different, the ‘Wolfpack’ does still have one eligible bachelor left to initiate. And that in itself could be worth seeing.
Rating: 2½ stars
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