The Hangover II

Let me just say going in that I had no desire to see this movie AT ALL! I saw the first one and really wasn't impressed by it. Needless to say the second one didn't impress like the first one didn't. Same foolish cast of characters making the same foolish mistakes before a wedding but this time instead of them being in Vegas the setting is Thailand. Now if you laughed at the first Hangover then you will more than likely laugh at the second but if you thought the first one was insipid then do NOT see this movie. You'll consider it a step above garbage.

Starring the same cast of characters as the first movie Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, and Ed Helms who's character Stu is the one getting married this time around. The first movie had Justin Bartha's character Doug stuck on the roof of their casino while the others couldn't remember their actions from the night before. Same premise this time around except now it's Stu's future brother in law Mason Lee who plays Teddy that gets stranded and cannot be found. Stu, Phil played by Bradley Cooper, and Alan played by Galifianakis rush to the roof just in case Teddy is there which he isn't (of course). So the three "wise" men go running around Bangkok trying to piece together the night before in the hopes of finding Teddy and making it back to the wedding ceremony with the groom in time.

The only real surprise this movie held for me was the casting of Paul Giamatti. He was a pleasant shock but there wasn't much else in way of a surprise. The cinematography was lovely and the movie looked like they spared no expense on anything except the wardrobe. Directed by (if you can call it that) the same man that brought you Old School, Due Date, and yes the first Hangover Todd Phillips doesn't change much up this time around except make Alan a more annoying character. I guess he and the brain trust behind this movie thought that's just what this movie needed. They were wrong but hey, it's not my movie.

This movie was only made because the first one was a box office smash and you can tell that because this is pretty much a carbon copy of the first. The many producers are hoping this one will break the bank too but as everyone knows you don't pull the same gag twice. Not because it's not good but because it's disrespectful and a real pro tries to improve on the old gag. In my opinion these guys missed the mark by more than half. See you at the theater!