Review: The Hangover Part II
There's something rather refreshing about The Hangover Part II. In this age of reboots, prequels, trilogies, franchises, sagas and what not, Phillips has boldly turned out a film that is exactly what a sequel used to be – a tired, re-run of the original with the same people doing much the same things but to much less effect.
Gather around kiddies, once upon a time all sequels were like this.
They shouldn't have called it Part II; the 'part' does suggest some kind of development or extension. A simple II would've sufficed, or maybe The Hangover, Ditto.
The only change here is that they are in a new location, Bangkok, and they wake having lost a different person.
Dentist Stu Price (Ed Helms) is set to marry Lauren (Jamie Chung) in a traditional ceremony in Thailand. Best friends Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) and Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis) are invited and while Doug makes an early exit, the others party at the resort with the bride-to-be's 16-year-old brother Teddy (Mason Lee).
The next morning, Phil, Stu and Alan wake in a sleazy Bangkok hotel room, with no recollection of the night before and no sign of Teddy.
The trio scour the city to find him, crossing paths with shady businessman Kingsley (Paul Giamatti), flamboyant criminal Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) and a larcenous monkey along the way.
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Still having sat through six seasons of 24, who am I to complain about a film that puts its characters in exactly the same outrageous, improbable situation over again.
The Hangover Part II (15)
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helm, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha, Paul Giamatti.
Length: 102 mins
**
