Movie Review: The Hangover 2

The Bangkok weather ain't
the only thing that's hot
in The Hangover 2!

The secret to a good recipe is that it's repeatable. You should get the same result every time you put the same ingredients, in the same amount and follow the same  instructions. That's exactly what Todd Phillip's did with The Hangover 2. He took the same characters and placed them in a very similar situation and hoped to produce the same results.

This time, it was Stu (Ed Helms) getting married. The difference is that instead of returning to Vegas, the action takes place in Bangkok because Stu's bride Lauren (Jamie Cheung) is Thai. With Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Alan (Zack Galifianakis) in tow, instead of loosing the groom, they lose the bride's younger brother Teddy (Mason Lee) a boy genius. We even have Ken Jeong reprising his role as Mr. Chow and a cameo from Mike Tyson.

Once again, the guys wake up without a clue as to what happened to Teddy and, for that matter, what happened the night before. To find Teddy, they have to sort it all out. Tattoos, chain-smoking monkeys and missing fingers are just the tip of the iceberg.

I never have high expectations for sequels. I just don't. While The Hangover 2 is definitely formulaic, I did have some laugh out loud moments. I also enjoyed how they kept the integrity of The Wolf Pack. Justin Bartha's Doug wasn't stuck on a rooftop this time around but he didn't stay with the group either and that was a wise decision. Phil, Alan and Stu work will together (along with Mr. Chow). There was no reason to mess with that part of the formula.

I laughed throughout The Hangover 2. I think I had more laughs with the original but I enjoyed myself and so did the audience I saw it with. Like the original, it is raunchy and there is some male frontal nudity (but nothing that's impressive).

However, let me add. I watched part of Wedding Crashers last night on cable. Bradley Cooper was kind of cute there but he was actually hot in The Hangover 2. I mean he was sexy! Hubba hubba!

But back to the review. I would say that it wasn't as funny as the original but it was funny. I had a good time. If this (and Bridesmaids) is your cup of tea, I think you'll enjoy it.