Review: The Hangover Part II

Typical Wolf Pack

I'm not sure if anyone could have guessed what a huge hit the original Hangover was going to be. The trio of Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Bradley Cooper made for some big laughs and big surprises. Sequels are a no-brainer when it comes to movies like that. Why think of new ideas when we can re-hash the same idea and make tons of money? (which is exactly what happened, Hangover II raked in over 137 million dollars over the long weekend - the largest opening for an R-rated flick ever).  I was skeptical about Hangover II when I saw the preview, as it almost matched the original's scene for scene (just put them in Thailand and replace the baby with a monkey).  It still looked funny, as the original premise was funny - I just worried about it being original enough to maintain enough laughs. It's sad to say, but my worries all came into fruition, along with many other problems.

I don't think I need to set up the plot, it's the exact same as the first just put them in Thailand and this time Ed Helms' character is getting married and they lose the fiance's little brother but they can't remember anything from the previous night so they have to figure out all the clues to get him back (*breathe). The problem is that nothing is surprising because they pull ALL of the same tricks that the original pulls. I am serious, every trick. To compensate for complete lack of originality, the writers just decided to make everything more extreme. More nastiness (including transvestite strippers), Bradley Cooper is more of a terrible person (he's not likable at all), Zach Galifianakis is more mentally troubled (which leads to some laughs, but not enough), Ed Helms is more over the top (If you thought he was annoying before.. you're in for a treat.. he screams and bounces around like Beaker the muppet) - and if you were wondering if any of this is funny, it's not.

The saddest part of Hangover II is that it kind of makes you like the first one less. You wonder if any charm you may have felt from the original was only by accident. I don't think this movie would be enjoyable even if you hadn't seen the original. The jokes just don't hit and you get constantly grossed out.

The Hangove Part II is one of those crazy parties you wish you could forget...

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