The Hangover: Part 2
- Matt O'Brien
Stars:
Bradley Cooper........................................Phil
Ed Helms.....................................................Stu
Zach Galifinakis.......................................Alan
Mason Lee..................................................Teddy
Ken Jeong....................................................Chow
Jamie Chung................................................Lauren
The hangover: Part 2 is less a sequel than it is homage to its predecessor, with co-writer/director Todd Phillips going back to the well and merely remaking the 2009 blockbuster. The lack of originality with this film is very disappointing, yet this off centre photocopy does manage to create a few laughs as it takes you down a familiar path.
Dentist Stu (Ed Helms) is excitedly approaching his marriage to Lauren (Jamie Chung), an unspecified woman we didn’t meet in the first film. Wanting to put his shady past behind him, Stu along with pals Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha) and begrudgingly the crazy Alan (Zach Galifinakis) head to Thailand for his wedding. On the eve of the big day, the boys, along with Laurens genius teenage brother Teddy (Masson Lee), prepare with a celebratory toast on the beach.
The next morning, Stu, Phil and Alan awake to find themselves in a seedy motel in the middle of Bangkok, with no memory of the previous night’s events and an unconscious Chow (Ken Jeong) on the floor. They take off into the chaotic underbelly of the city looking for Teddy, while also trying to stall wedding plans for as long as they can.
“Part 2” is definitely proof of a director not taking chances, Phillips seems to have shot this film like a man under pressure to deliver the same lightning in a bottle results as the first picture. The big change for this film is Bangkok, taking over from Las Vegas as the main setting for the boys’ debauchery. The change was handled well by Phillips, who uses the chaos and reputation of Bangkok to his advantage, with drug dealing monkeys, power outages and lady boys to help set the eastern mood.
If you’ve seen “The hangover: part 1” you’ve already seen “part 2”, which follows the same basic formula and pace of the first, which really takes away from the sense of surprise for this second chapter. Don’t get me wrong, along with many others, I’m happy to see these characters back in another pickle, but the script just doesn’t seem to make any effort. You get the feeling that the exotic location was used to deflect attention from a re-hashed, stale idea. There are definitely laughs to be had here; you will just have to suffer through some déjà vu to find them.
Biggest disappointment of the year......
Bradley Cooper........................................Phil
Ed Helms.....................................................Stu
Zach Galifinakis.......................................Alan
Mason Lee..................................................Teddy
Ken Jeong....................................................Chow
Jamie Chung................................................Lauren
The hangover: Part 2 is less a sequel than it is homage to its predecessor, with co-writer/director Todd Phillips going back to the well and merely remaking the 2009 blockbuster. The lack of originality with this film is very disappointing, yet this off centre photocopy does manage to create a few laughs as it takes you down a familiar path.
Dentist Stu (Ed Helms) is excitedly approaching his marriage to Lauren (Jamie Chung), an unspecified woman we didn’t meet in the first film. Wanting to put his shady past behind him, Stu along with pals Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha) and begrudgingly the crazy Alan (Zach Galifinakis) head to Thailand for his wedding. On the eve of the big day, the boys, along with Laurens genius teenage brother Teddy (Masson Lee), prepare with a celebratory toast on the beach.
The next morning, Stu, Phil and Alan awake to find themselves in a seedy motel in the middle of Bangkok, with no memory of the previous night’s events and an unconscious Chow (Ken Jeong) on the floor. They take off into the chaotic underbelly of the city looking for Teddy, while also trying to stall wedding plans for as long as they can.
“Part 2” is definitely proof of a director not taking chances, Phillips seems to have shot this film like a man under pressure to deliver the same lightning in a bottle results as the first picture. The big change for this film is Bangkok, taking over from Las Vegas as the main setting for the boys’ debauchery. The change was handled well by Phillips, who uses the chaos and reputation of Bangkok to his advantage, with drug dealing monkeys, power outages and lady boys to help set the eastern mood.
If you’ve seen “The hangover: part 1” you’ve already seen “part 2”, which follows the same basic formula and pace of the first, which really takes away from the sense of surprise for this second chapter. Don’t get me wrong, along with many others, I’m happy to see these characters back in another pickle, but the script just doesn’t seem to make any effort. You get the feeling that the exotic location was used to deflect attention from a re-hashed, stale idea. There are definitely laughs to be had here; you will just have to suffer through some déjà vu to find them.
Biggest disappointment of the year......
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