The Hangover Part II (2011)

The Wolfpack is back!!

I LOVED the first film, I had watched it in the cinema with 2 of my best girl friends and we did not stop giggling throughout the whole thing.

So I was very excited for part 2, despite hearing it was basically the same film, just in a different setting.

I wouldn't say that this is true, but it is definitely the same formula. But I guess they went with thinking "well if it works..."

There was definitely still plenty of laughs within this film (one lady in the cinema was doubling over with laughter), but unfortunately I did not find myself laughing quite as hard as with the previous.

The premise for the film is virtually the same as the first: the group are reunited in celebrating their friend's wedding (this time in Bangkok as opposed to Las Vegas). The night spirals out of control after getting spiked and they all wake up with no idea of what went on the night before and realise they have lost one of their party. They then get into some funny and awkward situations whilst trying to piece together the night and find their friend (this time it is the bride's brother Teddy that has gone missing) and get back to the wedding on time.

The 3 central characters are again Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zack Galifianakis) which works well, but it would have been nice to have added something new to the mix by including Doug (Justin Bartha) more, because in the 1st film he had taken part in all of their crazy antics; he had just been lost in the morning, during the part we actually see of the characters piecing it all together. His character could have added a new dynamic to the film, but again he is seriously underused.

I would say Part II is much darker than the first film, with more serious repercussions than the first, only this all seems to be taken with a pinch of salt (the characters seem non-plussed by getting shot or losing parts of their anatomy), which makes many events within the film unbelievable.

Again, there is also a storyline that angers the animal lover in me, I may have a stick up my butt, but I cannot find animal cruelty funny in any form.

It is probably best to watch this film when drunk/high/whatever puts you in a giggly mood and doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, but it isn't bad for a few laughs and some easy entertainment.

3/5