It’s not that The Hangover: Part II wasn’t good. It was. I enjoyed it a lot. It was just missing that extra je ne sais quoi of the original. For the most part, sequels are never as good and I think the plan was to make this movie as different as possible while keeping the same premise by setting it in Bangkok. That was the problem.
Vegas was the fourth member of the Wolfpack. Although I’ve never blacked out and married a stripper, it seemed like something that could happen on a wild trip with your buddies. I just can’t see myself ever hanging with a drug-dealing monkey and kidnapping monks, no matter how many roofies or painkillers I take. In a weird way, The Hangover: Part II was too over-the-top although that’s what we loved about the first one. Then, we had a missing tooth; here, it was a missing finger. And there was way waaaaaaaaaay too much penis. In addition, the backstory that was eventually revealed seemed more random than the linear narrative that explained Doug’s disappearance in Part I.
With that said, The Hangover: Part II was still a solid flick. There were a lot of funny moments, however nothing as memorable as Alan’s toast on the roof of Caesar’s Palace or Mike Tyson and his tiger. The movie still didn’t miss a beat and the pace was quick. New characters and plot points were easily incorporated and Mr. Chow’s expanded role was great. But when I look back at The Hangover: Part II, there won’t be one hilarious moment I’ll remember. I wouldn’t mind seeing a third, but it should move back a little into the realm of reality. New York, anyone?
2 out of 4 shots
Rainman Suite 