The Hangover Part II

"It happened again.."
"Seriously, what is wrong with you three?"

The Story:

Two years after their epic misadventure in Vegas, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) gather in Thailand for Stu’s (Ed Helms) wedding. Even though he’s intensely paranoid about hanging out with “The Wolfpack,” Stu is eventually convinced to have a couple of drinks a few days before the wedding. Of course, he, Allan, and Phil end up with an intense case of déjà vu when they wake up in a seedy motel room in Bangkok and have no idea how they got there. Even worse, they’ve managed to lose Stu’s fiancee’s little brother, which is sure to piss off his future father-in-law who already hates him.

The Review:

By the time Balls Academy drops, you will have probably read a half dozen reviews that tell you The Hangover II is essentially The Hangover set in Thailand. I can’t dispute that, as the flick practically remakes the original in terms of structure and plot beats. If anything, this movie tries to see just how funny the same joke can be when it’s told a second time. Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is “pretty damn funny.” The laughs are somewhat diminished since the element of surprise is missing--what made The Hangover work was its wackily wending plot structure, wherein each scene was committed to outdoing the previous one. Part II’s slavish devotion to its formula hinders it in this respect, as you sort of know where things are going to end up in the end once you wade through the expected instances of mistaken identities, random musical interludes, and whore-mongering.

Still, the journey towards that final destination manages to be uproarious and gleefully inappropriate when it wants to be. Thankfully, it wants to be raunchy at nearly every turn, as the boys manage to offend everyone from a group of monks to the local police force. Somewhere in between, they also learn why it’s called “Bangkok instead of Bang-cunt” in raucously funny sequence that shows just how good this series can be when it’s at its best. It’s rude, crude, and even oddly dark at times; while it’s not a full-on black comedy, this one really tries to push the limits on how uncomfortable it wants you to be while you’re laughing.

The returning characters are just as you remember them: Phil is sort of a level-headed badass party animal that just rolls with the punches and tries to keep his shit together, while Stu is what qualifies as the nerdy straight guy (this irony of this description is very much intended) who is aghast and incredulous at the events surrounding him. Then there’s Alan, who was certainly the most memorable main character from the original; Galifianakis is once again a show-stealer as an idiot savant who has no clue the whole world is laughing at him. His boorish, oblivious behavior is matched with a childish insecurity to create a guy who is basically a 13 year old kid walking around in the comically morbid body of a 40 year old man. An unexpected, trippy sequence that takes us into Alan’s mind confirms this, and that might be the only place more terrifying than his bedroom, which is adorned with wrestling action figures and posters (though I was happy to see him repping for the late, great “Macho Man” Randy Savage).

The boys’ exploits are so outrageous that it brings them into contact with an assortment of wild characters, including Ken Jeong’s Mr. Chow, whose criminal exploits manage to ensnare them again. He’s just as naked and tactless in the sequel and proves to be the second best character this series has had to offer. Other familiar faces (like Paul Giamatti and Nick Cassavetes) show up in bit roles to create even more chaos. Somewhere amidst all that chaos, the movie hints at some interesting character developments--Stu especially has some introspective moments where he has to confront who he is, and there are other tribulations that look to strain the friendship between The Wolfpack. But all of this ends up being glossed over because this is The Hangover Part II, and, like its predecessor, it’s not concerned about the ramifications of the morning after. Instead, it’s all about reveling in the shit-faced night before, which was both the worst and best time of your life. In this case, it’s really not the best time compared to its predecessor, but it’s still a pretty good bender in its own right. (Brett G.)

Tale of the Tape:

7 out of a possible 10 inches.

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