In the summer of 2009, The Hangover caught everyone by surprise and not only was it a huge hit, it was the absolute funniest movie of the year. So it is only necessary to make a sequel and hope it can be something like its original. Well the problem with The Hangover Part II is that it is too much like the first one. And while it is still funny, there is nothing fresh or new here to enjoy. The element of surprise is gone and the story has just been copied and pasted from the original to its sequel but changing the location.
Stu (Ed Helms) is getting married this time and having his wedding in Thailand. Due to what happened in Vegas, he tries to avoid a repeat. He just wants a bachelor brunch. Something calm and safe. But we all know there is no way they can stay out of trouble. No matter where they are at. Once Stu, Phil (Bradley Cooper), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) wake up in a Bangkok apartment (or could have easily been a crack house), they not only have to find their way back home, but they have to find Teddy (Mason Lee), Stu’s future wife’s little brother and her father’s pride and joy.
Director Todd Phillips is a great comedic filmmaker and there are a lot worse sequels than The Hangover Part II. However, I do not understand why he would go through the trouble of telling a story that he has already told before. The beginning and the endings are the same, and only in the middle does it get a little different but not by much. It is not the story that people will find entertaining because they have already seen that. But the characters are so outrageous and entertaining, they are the ones who bring the energy to this movie.
Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis play great off each other and have their chemistry down pat. Cooper’s Phil tries to keep a level-head about everything even though he creates the most trouble. But the beauty in it is that he doesn’t care. He thinks he can fix any situation. Stu may be the most safest character, but the craziest once he starts drinking. And when he wakes up the next morning, he is the one who is usually in the most pain and screams like a woman. Then there is Alan, who is one -of-a-kind. He is a grown man who acts like the biggest kid who finds joy in their journey whether it’s in Vegas or Bangkok. He just says the most random things that for some reason end up making sense. And while everyone else is panicking, he seems to just enjoy the time he has with his two very best friends.
The Hangover Part II is not breaking any new ground. It really needed to be its own movie, but it cannot stand alone. It relies on The Hangover a lot and there seems to be a lack of effort on Phillips part to create something new instead of using the same formula over and over. The magic of the first one probably wouldn’t have ever been recaptured anyways, but they could have at least tried a little harder.
Let’s end this on a good note. The Hangover Part II will certainly still make you laugh. The characters are still great, stupid, and fun. In this movie things get a little darker and definitely more raunchy. So you do have that to look forward to. Oh, and Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) and his penis are back as well!
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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