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Following up a
surprising comedy
with a sequel isn’t
a new concept. What
makes money will
make money again so
you use the same
formula and put out
a movie that hits it
big at both the box
office and on DVD
and Blu-ray. That’s
why people with the
criticism of
The
Hangover Part Two
saying that it’s the
same movie as the
first one don’t have
a valid point. Of
course it’s the same
movie! It’s the same
characters doing the
same thing with the
same director behind
the camera… just in
a different city
with some new
characters. So yes,
Stu, Phil, and Alan
are back for round
two and they’re
bound to get in some
shenanigans.
A
few years after the
wolfpack had their
night of debauchery
in Vegas they’re
getting together for
another wedding.
This time it’s Stu
getting hitched to
his Taiwanese bride
Lauren. Since Lauren
is from Taiwan, the
wedding is taking
place at a resort in
her native land.
That means that Stu,
Doug, Phil, and Alan
are going to have to
do a bachelor party
in Taiwan. After a
disastrous rehearsal
dinner with Lauren’s
parents, Stu and the
gang head to the
beach to have a few
drinks around a
bonfire as the
bachelor party.
Except what you
think would happen,
happens. They wake
up in a hotel room
in Bangkok not
knowing exactly
where they are or
how they got there.
This time instead of
losing Doug, they
lose Lauren’s little
brother Teddy.
They’ve got 24 hours
to find Teddy and to
get out of Bangkok
before Stu gets
married. Yes, it’s
the same movie but
that’s not a bad
thing.
Just because it’s
the same plotline
(basically) that
doesn’t mean there
aren’t plenty of new
jokes. This go
around there’s more
raunchy humor to
laugh uproariously
at and the really
big jokes; those are
funnier than the
last movie. The
other improvement is
director Todd
Phillips and him
really taking
advantage of Bangkok
and capturing the
dark element of the
city’s back alleys
and dodgy motels.
There are a few
parts of the movie
where the music
accompaniment and
the direction border
along being too
dark. It doesn’t
cross that line to
where it’s a dark
comedy, but it comes
close. The other
strengths of the
movie are the
strengths of the
last movie. The
acting’s great and
the physical comedy
is hilarious.
Although the big
jokes are funnier
this time around,
the jokes are a
little more spaced
out here than they
were with the last
movie and the pacing
suffers from it.
There are moments of
uproarious laughter,
then there’s ten to
twelve minutes
without more than a
chuckle.
The
Hangover Part
Two
is very funny, but
there could have
been a few better
moments between the
big laughs.
This is a great
pickup on Blu-ray
because the feature
is stellar and the
bonus features are
cool too. There’s
not a ton of content
but what’s here is
hilarious. There’s a
short three minute
feature where Chow
takes us on his tour
of Bangkok. There’s
a funny gag reel.
There’s some great
making of
featurettes
including a funny
four minute piece on
the monkey. The
highlight though is
an unauthorized
documentary of the
movie which is more
of a mockumentary
and has some very
funny moments.
The
Hangover Part Two
is the same movie as
The
Hangover.
But that’s what you
sign up for! There
are some advantages
and a few
disadvantages to
this. There aren’t
as many laughs as
the first movie but
the laughs are
bigger this time
around. For the
comedy lover, just
like the last movie
this is an easy
pickup that they’ll
love.
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