REVIEW: The Hangover Part II

The team from 2009's hilarious The Hangover return - cast Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, even Mike Tyson, plus director Todd Phillips. Now playing nationwide, click here for movie times & the trailer.

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Fans of the first version, and there are rightfully lots of them, will be delighted to know that the follow up doesn’t deviate from a formula that proved successful then. In fact, there are times when it almost feels like they just swapped Bangkok for Vegas, leading to plenty of déjà vu moments.

The series of events that make up the plot, which felt wild and out of control the first time around, can’t help but lose some of its impact when seen a second time. Using the same basic jokes also means they have to be taken further, which sees many of the key moments from the first film played bigger, but not necessarily funnier.

What works in spite of this are the familiar characters. In particular, man-child Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and gangster Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) who have more central roles and deliver plenty of laughs. Bangkok is a perfect location for the story too, with its neon squalor providing plenty of fitting material.

If you can look past the fact that this film is closer to a remake than a sequel, it’s an enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half. Might not be original, but it’s still funny.

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