[Review] Hangover 2 - 5th June 2011

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 - Worth Watching [For rating system, see information tab at top of blog]

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Release Date: 26th May 2011
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Director: Todd Phillips
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Writers: Craig Mazin - Scot Armstrong - Todd Phillips (Screenplay) Jon Lucas - Scott Moore (Characters)
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Cast: Bradley Cooper - Ed Helms - Zach Galifianakis - Justin Bartha - Ken Jeong - Mason Lee

Review

When I first discovered ‘The Hangover 2’ was to be released, my immediate thought was “ Cash Cow!”. I thought it was going to be another dull sequel, produced to haul millions of ‘The Hangover’ fans back to the cinema in order to extract their money. I was wrong and indeed pleasantly surprised.

‘The Hangover 2’, above all else, was simply funny. This, of course, what the viewer is looking for in a comedy, however what is interesting is the way Todd Phillips and the various writers of the film achieved this.

‘The Hangover 2’ is effectively a more extreme version of ‘The Hangover’; the trailer makes this apparent - Instead of loosing Doug, they loose Stu’s fiancé’s younger brother. Instead of finding a baby, they find a monkey and Stu receives a tattoo instead of a missing tooth. What makes ‘The Hangover 2’ more extreme in its comedic effect is the various problems the ‘Wolf pack’ get into whilst trying to resolve the problems created by their antics from the night before.

This time the film is set in Bangkok and follows the same basic narrative; the group are attending a wedding- this time Stu’s - and the evening prior to this the group decide to enjoy a few beers together. They wake next day to find themselves in a completely dysfunctional situation, presented with several problems they need to resolve before returning to attend the wedding. ‘The Hangover 2’ however has an additional element that has greatly aided in its comic success – Mr. Chow, played by Ken Jeong, has been given a larger part, and his performance adds a different element of comedy that the first ‘Hangover’ did not have.

In terms of the ascetics of the film, again, the direction by Todd Phillips is good. He does not attempt to stylize the film, but instead constructs it in a simple way that lets the comedy naturally flow from the cast and narrative of the film.

‘The Hangover 2’ however would have never been this successful without its cast. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Zach Galifianakis and now Ken Jeong create the perfect screen chemistry - each of them performing their different characters very effectively, resulting in the three dimensional character clash that is needed for this type of comedy - Special mention must go to Zach Galifianakis however, as his unique characterisation of ‘Alan’ has become a world famous favourite.

‘The Hangover 2’, a second installment that was just as comical as the first- two comedies that will stand the test of time.