MOVIE OF THE WEEK (5/26/11): THE HANGOVER: PART II
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Jamie Chung, Bryan Callen, Paul Giamatti, Mason Lee, Sasha Barrese, Nick Cassavetes, Jeffrey Tambor, Yasmin Lee ... And someone else who was featured prominently in the first film.
WRITER: Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong and Todd Phillips (screenplay); Carlos Saldanha (story)
DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips
WEB SITE: www.hangoverpart2.warnerbros.com
THE PLOT: Picking up 2 years after the events of the first film, The Hangover: Part II finds Stu (Ed Helms) working successfully and getting ready to follow in the footsteps of Doug (Justin Bartha) by getting married to Lauren (former Real World castmate Jamie Chung). Having broken up with his previous wife Jade (Heather Graham in the original movie), Stu has found the girl of his dreams and now plans to get ready to marry her in Thailand in hopes of finally impressing her father (Nirut Sirichanya).
Unfortunately for Stu, Lauren's dad is far more impressed with Teddy (Mason Lee), a 16 year-old, Stanford pre-med prodigy with a talent for the chello. And while Doug, Stu and Phil (Bradley Cooper) are cool with Teddy tagging along for the bachelor party, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) - who barely got an invite to the wedding - is not. In fact, he sees Teddy as a threat to the solidarity of "The Wolfpack" and plans to one up him at all costs. But Doug, Stu and Phil tell Alan to relax and just enjoy their first night in Thailand, which they do with a toast of American beer.
Then they wake up the next morning ... And not only has Alan shaved his head and Stu tattooed his face a'la Mike Tyson, but Teddy is no where to be seen. What ensues is a comedy of epically raunchy proportions ...
THE TAKE: OK, let me be brief since [1] I know anyone who enjoyed the first one is going to see Part II no matter what I say and [2] it's hard to not really discuss the film at great length without revealing too much. So, what can I say? I can say this ...
Part II is essentially a re-do of Part I, just in a different country with someone else stepping in for the role of Doug (in this case, Teddy) and a lot more raunch. Like, a lot more. If you're thinking of seeing this on a first date, if the person you're with is not cool with [1] nudity of all types [2] a lot of f-bombs and [3] general behavior of men behaving extremely badly, this movie could be your last date, too. If you're not familiar with some of the, uh, "attractions" Thailand is known for, you might want to do some research before you walk in and find yourself offended.
If you're cool with breasts, penises and profanity, however, you'll likely enjoy Part II as it features all of the same things that you likely enjoyed the first go round. Then again, if you were cool with the original, Part II might almost at times feel like too much of a good thing as the Alan and Mr. Chow (played again with zany aplomb by Ken Jeong) characters are even crazier this time around if you can imagine that. Seriously, don't say I didn't warn you
Don't get me wrong, the story isn't completely lacking originality - is just that the film plays things really safe by just amping up everything that the made the original, well, original! Think of it this way: One slice of key lime cheesecake (or whatever flavor you like; that's mine) from The Cheesecake Factory is delicious; try to finish an entire key lime cheesecake, however, and you're likely going to have a love/hate relationship with the restaurant. You're going to laugh at Part II, but you might feel a little guilty for enjoying it as much as you do sometimes ...
PARTING SHOT: Ruder, cruder but essentially the same movie as the first go round, The Hangover: Part II is sure to satisfy those seeking another dose of the Wolfpack and their antics ... Which is exactly why you should expect this one to do just as - if not better - than the first film at the box office.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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