A fun sequel, but we've seen it all before.

Rating: 6/10 (15 July 2011)

The Hangover was an unexpected hit for audiences and film critics alike even with typical American gross out comedy humour we come to associate with director Todd Phillips previously responsible for comedies such as Due Date (which was terrible), Old School (which wasn't bad) and Road-trip (an absolute gem of a film that despite being gross out as I'm not generally a fan of these types, it's an old favourite I've watched for so many years, I don't mind and I couldn't hate it even if I tried. Also as they're students, in a way you expected them to do act like that, and yes I know it's a stereotype and that not all students act like it but still these ones can get away with it, so it's genuinely funny as a result). The reason I loved The Hangover was because despite the gross out humour the characters became likable in their befuddlement and they do grow up at the end of the movie. Not to mention the script was extremely inventive, with just when you thought things for the group in Vegas couldn't get any worse it did making it hilariously catastrophic. The sequel sets the premise as the same as the first one where the same group Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) jet to Thailand for their friend Stu's weeding to future wife Lauren (Jamie Chung).
The night before against their better judgement, the guys go to party along with Lauren's sixteen year old cousin Teddy (Mason Lee) and predictably the next morning wake up (apart from Doug who left to go back to the hotel earlier in the evening) with no idea where they are with Teddy missing and joined by their old friend from Vegas the Chinese mobster Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). So Phil, Stu and Alan have to again frantically rush around trying to piece the clues together of what happened and find where Teddy is before Stu's wedding starts.
As reiterated by previous reviewers The Hangover Part II is pretty much exactly the same as is predecessor with the same structure of the story and the similar events that happen to them, like in the first one the guys had to contend with the tiger but now it's a monkey. The jokes are pretty much the same with no comedic originality, so it is formulaic and does become a bit tiresome at moments. It's a pity that Todd Phillips has stuck to the same formula, though I can see why he would as it was such a success in the first one. But part II just goes through the motions.
Saying that the acting is good from the main cast with great cameos from Mike Tyson, Mr. Chow and Kingsley (Paul Giamatti), there is a comfortable familiarity with the main characters and there were enough laughs and chuckles that kept me entertained from start to finish. But they shouldn't commission a third part as they would be pushing it. Part II is a fun sequel and it's worth seeing if your a fan of the first one, but don't expect nothing new as we have seen it all before.