Movies Reviews

The Hangover: Part II – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie May 26, 2011, 1:23 GMT

In "The Hangover Part II," Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu\'s wedding. With the memory of Doug\'s nearly disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas still fresh—or at least well-documented—Stu is taking no chances. He has opted for a safe, subdued, pre-wedding trip brunch, with pancakes, coffee...and no alcohol. However, things don\'t always go as planned. Two nights ...more

“I can’t believe this is happening again” - Stu 

Bradley Cooper’s Phil is on a payphone in the middle of some unknown place.  He’s telling a panicked woman he and his friends will be late for the wedding because they are in big trouble. 

Phil, Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) have hit the wall in every sense - again. It’s déjà vu all over again as we begin another R-rated adventure with our favorite adult children, the men from The Hangover.

Just as wickedly unique as the original – the high grossing R-rated comedy of all time - but the boys veer into ever darker and more dangerous country.  That’s The Hangover Part II and Phil, Stu and Alan are in Thailand where, we learn, anything goes. 

It’s the obvious next territory for them, maybe Afghanistan next time? This version is more dangerous and far darker in tone and content, but just as jaw droppingly, shockingly funny.

Stu’s getting married to Laura in a resort near Bangkok.  Her parents can barely stomach him because his eyes are the eyes of a coward; they don’t try to mask their disdain and let it be known that any steps out of line by Stu will not go well.  That means no big bachelor bash because the last one, for Stu, ended in life-changing disaster, and that would wreck any chance with the in-laws.

So as they did once before, the boys gather for what they think will be a low key bachelor party.  They’re on the beach with four bottles of beer and Laura’s squeaky clean 16 year old prodigy brother Teddy.  What could possibly happen?

It’s The Hangover.  Lots – without giving too much away there is a Buddhist monk in a wheelchair, a tattoo, strippers, tranny hookers,  roofies, riots, a disappearance and at least one, maybe two deaths.  And an extremely depraved monkey.

And of course, we have Mr. Chow.  The sneering, psychopathic criminal we previously met has come to Thailand loaded to the gills with cocaine and confidence.   He shows his soft side this time, and somehow finds them and joins in the insanity that the bachelor party becomes. Ken Jeong does his shtick and while some think it’s de trop, I still enjoy his antics.

No Mel Gibson.  He was to appear in a cameo as the tattoo artist but Zach G. put a stop to that.  Paul Giamatti appears in a small role as a vicious gangster, or so we think. Cooper’s phone calls are the dramatic turning points of both Hangover films. 

It’s when he speaks to an outsider that it occurs to him just how much trouble they are in and how badly he knows they’ve messed up.  He also realizes where his heart is.  They are moments of depth and require talent to put over with any kind of authenticity.  

The tone has a surprisingly grave edge that the original film suggested but its much stronger now.  The stakes are higher and the boys are further from home.  Even the skies are darker in Bangkok. 

One ray of hope is Stu’s seemingly endless supply of ready cash and a quick mind.   They are in a culture they don’t know, where actions can be misread at their peril and where they’re not sure what they’re eating. They don’t know the language so they are really playing for keeps at every turn.

Todd Phillips sets the stage for an outing that follows almost exactly the structure of the original film, and the signature cast, but fills it in with a new color palette. It’s bleaker, and somewhat tougher, greyer morally and visually. 

But the characters are the same, we know them and we know they don’t stand a chance against Bangkok. 

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35mm comedy
Written by Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong, Todd Phillips
Directed by Todd Phillips
Opens: May 26 Thursday
Runtime: 102 min
MPAA: R (no description given)
Country: USA
Language: English