No need to fix what's not broke.

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2011)

After the release of one of the most critically and commercially successful comedies of the modern era in 2009, it would only be a matter of time before director Todd Philips and his cast would be given a second go-round. This is in the form of The Hangover: Part 2, which is less of a direct sequel, and more of an 'alternative retelling' of a night they'll never remember.
The film is set some months after the events of the first film. Doug (Justin Bartha) is happily married and it is now Stu (Ed Helms) who is the groom-to-be. He opts for a traditional wedding in Thailand to appease his in-laws, but a night that starts with just one beer on the beach with friends Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Alan (Zack Galifianakis) is a sign that the trip will be anything but smooth. Cue the following morning, when the wolfpack awakes to find, among other things, a monkey in their bathroom, a tattoo on Stu's face, a barely-alive Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong, with a much larger role this time) and the severed finger of Stu's brother-in-law, who's nowhere to be found.
So now you know what I mean when I say the film is essentially a retelling of what happened in Vegas. In terms of plot only, the parallels between the two films are obvious, and when you see it in full, you'll realise just how similar they truly are. The monkey replaces the baby, Thai gangsters replace Chinese gangsters, and an unconscious Chow replaces Tyson drugged-up tiger. In fact, every major set piece in Part 2 is in some way adapted from the original. Philips makes no attempt to hide this either, going so far as to recycle the majority of Part 1's soundtrack and even shoot key scenes the exact same way.
Of course, this is not a huge issue, only because anyone who walks into this film expecting something entirely different is either far too demanding, or just kidding themselves. The crew applies the same style of jokes the whole way through, and it works because, quite simply, this is a very funny movie.
I know it's a cliché, but the sequel really is on a bigger scale. At times, Vegas seems like a McDonald's play area compared to the horrors encountered in the red-light district of Bangkok. Wilder scenarios result in greater consequences for the character's actions, and you can overlook the fact that some of these problems (which might leave a regular person at a complete loss) are simply glossed over in the film to make way for a steady stream of gags.
But a word of warning for anyone who may have found the first film overly outlandish and inappropriate in its subject matter. Part 2 takes this hilarity in a more sinister direction, resulting in more than its fair share of uncomfortable moments, punctuated by gross-out humour and jibes at other cultures that could even be taken as racist and offensive, depending on one's individual tastes in comedy. I didn't have a problem with it, but I can see how those with a low tolerance for political incorrectness would.
Finally, it was disappointing to learn that Heather Graham would not reprise her role as a genuine love interest for Stu in the sequel. Consequently, we're just supposed to accept the fact that he's gotten over his break-up, completely lost contact with Jade and moved on to someone we've never met. This makes the film appear just that little bit shallow during the First Act, but it also becomes a non-issue as soon as the focus turns from the wedding to the manhunt. If The Hangover is the most highly-regarded and respected of modern comedies, then the sequel falls a little short of being its Godfather 2. However, it's hard to harshly criticise a straight-out comedy that makes you laugh as often as this one does.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review.*