Random Review of the Week: Hangover: Part II

In 2009, Todd Phillips directed The Hangover.  The comedy told the story of four friends going to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, only to get totally messed up and losing one of their own.  The remaining three friends then try to trace their steps in order to find their missing friend, and end up on the comedic adventure of a lifetime.  The movie redefined drunk comedy, and made the comedy genre a highlight of the next year in a industry that is more enthralled with blockbuster epics than smaller films of this nature.

In 2011, Todd Phillips directed The Hangover Part II.  A sequel to the original film, the four main leads reprise their roles and set off for a new adventure in Bangkok, Thailand.  Justin Bartha once again sits out of the action, but this time it is Mason Lee portraying Teddy as the one that the 'Wolfpack' has lost in their night of drunken stupor.  They set off into the heart of Bangkok in order to bring him back in time for Stu (Portrayed once again by Ed Helms) to get married to his sweetheart.

The premise makes it seem all too familiar, and to those who have seen the original, it pretty much is.  While the idea was hilarious the first go around, the second one already feels dated and repetitive.  I was apprehensive to watch the first one, but when I finally did, I laughed through every minute of it.  As I sat through the sequel, I could see where the formula became contrived and outdated within just one film.

The opening of part two is almost a direct mirror of the original, with Phil (Bradley Cooper) making a call to Tracy (Portrayed once again by Sasha Barrese) and saying how they messed up once again.  It then flips to only a few days prior as Doug, Phil and Stu prepare to leave for Thailand and end up once again bringing Alan with them to the wedding.

From here, the film becomes almost an exact carbon copy of the first one.  The story is almost the exact same, but uses a couple new elements of a Buddhist monk and a drug-dealing monkey.  However, the formula hasn't changed.  The premise of the movie is the exact same, and the characters haven't matured or grown any from the events of the previous film.

There is laughs here, and the movie is a bit darker than the previous film, but the film is still contrived.  The fact that this movie style has quickly gotten stale is a fact that is obvious from the first few minutes of the film.  While I usually don't agree with the true movie critics, I do agree with them here.

The acting is the same quality, all the characters shine.  However, you can tell they're just going through the same motions as before.  If there is a third film, I will be surprised if it as much of a success as these last two have been.

My Review:
2/5 Stars