Not as good as the Original

Rating: 5/10 (6 July 2012)

I was interested in seeing the Hangover Part II because I enjoyed the original Hangover and I read many more negative reviews. The Hangover Part II feels padded at 102 minutes. At the same time, it sticks so closely to the original's template that it could almost be deemed a remake rather than sequel.
Add to that humor that never transcends the juvenile, and you have an annoying movie. Director Todd Philips and his writing team, Scot Armstrong and Craig Mazin, fill the film with penis jokes, Asian stereotypes, and pop culture references. Not much originality here, just more cruder and much less funny jokes.
A movie like this needs as many solid one-liners as possible. The first part of the film goes to great pains to reintroduce the characters, still recovering from their Las Vegas misadventure in The Hangover. This much exposition seems like a waste of time for a comedy of this nature.
It is also a mistake on the director's part to spend so much capital on reminding us of the first movie-when he is about to offer us up such a poor excuse for a sequel.
Even when the guys finally get to Thailand for the main action, The Hangover Part II takes its pretty time picking up any steam. Their protracted search through Bangkok for a missing teenager who partied too hard with them on another lost night gets old fast.
The characters themselves, which should be the film's strongest selling point, are not really happening either. Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) all feel undercooked now-less than one-dimensional. Philips often has the three screaming at one another as they trek through Bangkok. The chemistry among the three actors has gone flat, and their bickering starts to feel interminable.
The new teen character, Teddy (Mason Lee), Stu's fiancée's little brother, could have been developed into a genuine addition but is basically discarded for most of the movie. The film ends on a decidedly sour note when the guys discover, as in the first movie, digital photos of the night they cannot remember.
Overall, The Hangover Part II has a slapdash quality. The filmmakers probably should have taken more time to think things through. The movie even looks slapped together: the mise-en-scene is sloppy, the makeup is uneven, and there are continuity errors galore. The film takes itself too seriously and it works more as a drama with comedy/action elements than a straight up comedy.
=== As a rewatch (03/06/18') The Hangover Part 2 is somewhat as remembered, it being a very similar copy to the original. From the opening scene and ending scene of part 2, is the same as we saw in part 1. What made the original great is tat it was believable and refreshing, as Part 2 is essentially the same thing, just set in a different location, with minor differences. There are some decent funny moments but nothing as funny and unpredictable as the original. Overall, it's a decent watch of entertainment but lack in the magic and suspense of the original. As a another rewatch 05/31/19' to and a day after rewatching the first Hangover to share the similarities and rehash the memories, it's clear again that this sequel isn't nearly as good and original as the first. There are enjoyable scenes since the crew are back together but overall, this isn't as funny, entertaining or thrilling.