There are some moments in film that are considered truly legendary. Darth Vader declaring that he was Luke Skywalker's father. Peter Venkman declaring that Walter Peck had no dick. And, of course, Alan slicing his hand open with a knife declaring himself as blood brothers with Stu, Phil, and Doug. Since the ending of the original, I couldn't wait for the Hangover 2's release. And I was not disappointed.
Within the first few seconds of the film’s opening, we were treated to gut-wrenching laughs as Stu (played by Ed Helms) was being berated by Phil (portrayed brilliantly by Bradley Cooper) during a dental examination and discussion of Stu’s upcoming wedding in Thailand. From there, the gags seamlessly didn’t stop. At some points, I almost found it hard to breath as each joke fired out like a chain gun.
To whet your appetite a bit while keeping this review spoiler free, Stu is well aware of what happened at the last bachelor party held in their circle of friends and opted for a simple bonfire on the beach while drinking a single bottle of beer. Of course, they wake up in Bangkok with no recollection of what happened the previous day and Stu’s future brother-in-law has gone missing.
And so, the search begins. Similar gags from the previous film find their way back into the sequel with all knew ones leaving their “horrifying” mark (poor, poor Stu). The film ends with a similar picture montage just like its predecessor, revealing the details of their horrifying trip and showcasing some of the best gages ever
In many ways, this is a solid representation of the first film and in others it surpasses it. However, some of the more popular critics don’t share my opinion. I’m not exactly sure what they were looking at but I’d give this film a solid A. Critics often are all over the place with their opinions, especially concerning sequels. They’ll rip one apart from diverging too far away from the original, or in this case, staying to close to the previous formula. I say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
People went into this movie completely expecting to see an updated version of the first film. And that’s exactly what they got. Some jokes were similar, others completely original. Of course, the general formula had to be the same. I just have to ask, what the hell did critics expect to see? It’s titled “The Hangover 2”. No subtitles. Just another number. An addition to an already wonderful original. That’s what we got. As other’s continue to throw in their two cents of displeasure, I have to pose the same question.
“What were you expecting?”
Everyone I asked thus far that didn’t enjoy the movie simply told me they didn’t like it. When I asked why, many of them had no real response while others said it was too similar to the first one. I swear, some people are too hard to please. Can’t we just enjoy a film for what it is? A hilarious, swear-filled romp into the seedy underworld of Thailand? I’m sure other people share my opinion. That’s why it made almost $90 million over the weekend, trumping Pirates 4.
If you’re not easily offended, do yourself a favor and go see the Hangover 2 right now. Check your expectations at the door, sit back and just enjoy the damn movie without overanalyzing every frame. You’ll thank me later.
Final Rating: Mother-Fucking A
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