The Hangover: Part II

Review by Jason Donner

Many years ago, I was given a Christmas present -- a brand new copy of Pilotwings for the Super Nintendo (I'm old, deal with it).  I was so excited that I couldn't wait to tear into the same-sized tell-tell package from my grandmother.  Two Super Nintendo games at once?  Is this what it's like to be a millionaire?

I opened the package and what to my wondering eyes did appear?  Pilotwings.  Same game, different package.

Don't get me wrong, I was grateful both for the thought of the presents and the fact that they kept the receipts.  Pilotwings was a great game, after all, and it gave me hours of enjoyment as I cursed and cussed the helicopter level and those big fat glowing bullets that seemed to appear out of nowhere, but getting the same gift twice just wasn't that much fun and seemed to cheapen the experience.

Can you see the very shallow allegory I'm forming here?  The Hangover Part II is The Hangover -- it's the exact same movie, but in slightly different packaging.  Sure, it might be enjoyable, but the surprises are spoiled, the thrill is gone, and you can't help but feel a little screwed over by the obvious lazy writing that duplicates the first Hangover experience beat for comic beat.

This time around, the Wolf Pack find themselves going to Thailand for Stu's wedding.  He's getting married to an Asian hottie (and how the nerds in movies manage to keep scoring hotties is a travesty when compared to real life) and decides to spend one very safe night out with his pals when, surprise surprise, they wake up the next morning not knowing where they are, what has happen, or what has become of Stu's future brother in law.

Just like the first movie, they wake up in a hotel room with a strange animal.  Just like in the first movie, something silly and temporary has happened to Alan's face.  Just like the first movie, something insane and permanent has happened to Stu's face.  Just like in the first movie, nothing happens to Bradley Cooper because he's goddamn Bradley Cooper.

The Hangover Part II is an enjoyable movie, don't get me wrong... I'm just upset because it's the first movie all over again and even the most ardent Hangover fans cannot deny that Part II is a beat by beat clone of the first.  It even shoehorns in a forced cameo by Mike Tyson and a naked Ken Jeong.

This plagerization of the first movie almost completely kills the sequel.  All of the surprise and joy is gone and, if it weren't for the gross-out one-upsmanship of the script over the first movie and the contributions of the go-for-broke cast, this would be a carbon copy and I cannot abide that level of creative laziness.  Substitute Bangkok for Vegas and you have nearly the same movie.

It's a gift we've already received in a different package and everyone who has ever gotten one of those knows how quickly the anticipation turns into disappointment and The Hangover Part II comes with some major disappointment.  It's not horrible and it does have some laughs, but it all feels like something we've already seen... because we have.