A lot like the original, but well worth it

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2011)

Todd Phillip's sequel to his successfully original The Hangover has a lot of the same situations as the first. That being said, it is still well worth going to see.
The Hangover Part II starts off the same way. Phil is on the phone with Doug's wife Tracy and tells her that they will not be able to do the wedding. This time around it's Stu who is getting married in Thailand. While still in Los Angeles, Stu decides that their breakfast at an IHOP is going to be his bachelor party because he does not a repeat of what happened in Vegas. Since Stu's announcement of his plan to marry his new girlfriend Lauren, Alan has been hoping to get an invite, but to no avail. Stu reluctantly invites Alan.
Two days before the big wedding, Lauren's father has shown that he hates Stu. Alan feels intimidated about Lauren's brother Teddy, who Alan feels will steal his friends. They each have one beer before all hell breaks loose in Bangkok.
Again, we have a situation in Bangkok just like in Vegas. The guys went through a crazy night taking on Bangkok and do not remember what they did. Now it's up to them to figure out what they did and to find Teddy, who is the one that went missing.
If you love the original, this one is still just as entertaining. There are hilarious situations involving Stu's Mike Tyson tattoo, a drug dealing monkey, a monk, and Mr. Chow.
Bradley Cooper has made Phil into a much stronger leader in this one. While he was great in the first film, he shows how well he works with his friends. Ed Helms has also made Stu into a much stronger character. Helms makes Stu excellent at his ability to not be afraid of showing how he feels. Zach Galifianakis again makes Alan to be one of the craziest and most unique people out there. The three show that they have great chemistry as they walk through the streets of Bangkok.
In a brief but awesome supporting role, Paul Giamatti shows up in the film as an INTERPOL agent disguised as a mob boss who is after Mr. Chow. Giamatti proves his excellence in whatever role he is given. At first, I really believed that he could be a mob boss.
I also enjoyed seeing Mike Tyson return at the end of the movie for another awesome cameo. What I like best about this film is how director Todd Phillips makes this film a similar story to the first one, but set in another city, with some different situations. Phillips has done well at making a true sequel. I am looking forward to whatever movie Mr. Phillips has coming out next.