Review: The Hangover Part II

Any handyman will tell you, if it’s not broke then you don’t fix it.

And thus, we get “The Hangover Part II.”

Courtesy of Legendary
Pictures

While some have lambasted the film for being a copycat of the first in just a different location (right down to the “Wolfpack” being attacked by an Asian man), I argue that’s exactly what audiences wanted and Director Todd Phillips gave them.

This is a sequel that was done right.  The film brought back the three man stars (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) with Phillips returning to direct.

After all, aren’t most sequels just re-hashes of the original with slight changes?

How many James Bond movies involve him saving a beautiful woman, gun fights, cool gadgets and shit exploding? All of them.

How many Indiana Jones movies involve Harrison Ford meeting a beautiful woman and he ends up taking her to an exotic location and rescues some mysterious relic? All of them.

Heck, the main plots of “A New Hope” and “The Return of the Jedi” in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, the rebel alliance plotting to blow up the Death Star ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.

The Hangover is not a Christopher Nolan film and moviegoers are not expecting that kind of movie or the type of swerve ending of a M. Night Shyamalan work.

They want to be grossed out, they want to laugh, they want to hear Galifianakis say outrageous stuff and want to see Mike Tyson.

“The Hangover Part II” gave its fans all of that.

The film is really carried by Galifianakis and Ken Jeong, who reprised his role as Leslie Chow.

Galifianakis, who nobody will confuse with Johnny Depp in terms of acting ability or looks, really finds who “Alan” is in this movie, straddling the line of being a guy that’s just a tad off and never delving into doing a poor Dustin Hoffman impression from “Rainman.”

As for Jeong, who has honed his comic chops on “The Office” and “Community,” steals every scene he’s in without out shadowing the main cast and his character fits well into the story without feeling crammed in.

The only disappointment I had in this film was the rumored cameo of former President Bill Clinton was false and Liam Neeson’s scenes were cut.

This movie is not the “Godfather Part II” when it comes to sequels nor does it try to be.  If you want to have a good laugh and be a little grossed out, this is your movie.