Jaws. Pirates of the Caribbean. The Lion King. The Hangover. What do all of these movies have in common? They shouldn't have had sequels. It certainly seems reasonable to cash in on a huge hit or continue a great story, but these films are good on their own. What makes things worse about The Hangover Part II is that it does not even make sense to try and add on to its predecessor. The story ends with the Wolf Pack getting home from Vegas in time for the wedding. Perfect. In Jaws, the shark blows up. Perfect. With Pirates and Lion King there is room for character development and a more detailed story, but these certainly aren't necessary when one takes a look at the sequels. There is simply nothing to do for a Hangover sequel but copy the same exact formula. And that's just what Todd Phillips and the gang did.
The first few minutes of both films can be played side by side and one would barely be able to tell the difference. Bradley Cooper's character Phil looks up into the sky after talking to Doug's wife on the phone to look at "The Hangover" written in the same font as in the first movie. I didn't even think they were going to include "Part II." Then the opening credits roll along with a song from the same artist who was featured in the previous film. Things start to change up just a bit while the Wolf Pack discusses their trip to Thailand for Stu's wedding, but once they arrive, one realizes that he or she should've just popped in the 2009 DVD to save some time and money.
The only real difference in Part II is the scenery, the person they lose, and the level of obscenity. Once again, Stu gets the worst of it and I even began to feel bad for him, not only for the terribly disgusting things happening to him, but the fact that it's his second go-around. One character I absolutely do not feel bad for is Alan. Zach Galifianakis is not meant for a lot of screen time, and in Part II it shows. He has become even more hard to believe due to his insane obsession with the Wolf Pack and his carelessness towards them at the same time. He, along with Ken Jeong, who should've stuck with just Knocked Up and the first Hangover so we would miss him a little, is completely exhausting. When Jeong first appears on screen and something abruptly happens to him, I almost shouted with joy. Don't worry though...he comes back.
While the first film had a sequence of crazy events and a true mystery, the sequel involves one riot (which doesn't seem so bad knowing what the characters can handle) and it's a lot easier to piece this one together. Plus the laughs are barely present. There is one scene in particular, when Alan has a flashback of the evening while meditating that is quite funny, but I think I laughed the hardest during the opening credits when I saw who would be playing the surprise cameo. He disappoints, however, like the rest of the cast.
Many people were probably looking forward to a solid comedy since this summer will be bombarded with superhero movies, but The Hangover Part II does not satisfy. Avoid this carbon copy and enjoy all of the hilarious quotes from the first film if you can resist the urge to give this pathetic sequel more money. Or better yet, see Bridesmaids or wait for something like Horrible Bosses. I'm sure if I can remember the few humorous lines from Part II, I'll be reciting them throughout the summer. But I doubt I'll enjoy it. Watching the first Hangover is like experiencing a happy buzz with the potential of getting hammered. Watching Part II is like the next morning when you feel like shit.
This is so wrong
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