The Hangover Part 2 Review (2011)

The Wolf pack are back for another wedding and more misadventures only this time in Bangkok instead of Las Vegas. The story follows a similar pattern to the original which some critics have slated, saying the director and writers have gone the easy route and suggested this film was a guaranteed smash after the surprising success of the first film. Both arguments have valid points, but in my view if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

The film starts two years after the episode in Vegas and this time it's Stu (Ed Helms) who's about to get married to his gorgeous American-Asian girlfriend who has insisted on getting married in Thailand. Stu's friends are reluctant to go at first but come around to the idea of having a stag-do overseas. What starts with a quiet beer on the beach turns into a heavy session ending up in a seedy hotel in Bangkok with no one remembering what happened and the loss of the brides 16 year old brother.

The plot is very similar but its the quality of the comedic performances which keep the film going. Again Bradley Cooper keeps the gang and the film together which gives Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms freedom to bring out the films best laughs which include kidnapping a monkey, partying with some choice Asian ladies and a run in with gangster Kinglsey (Giamatti). Much was said of the Mel Gibson cameo who was replaced by Liam Neeson then finally Nick Cassevetes. But the role is small and only leads to another clue to the location of the brother and therefore isn't such a big deal. There's also another surprise cameo from the first Hangover

Yes there is a feeling of Deja-vu but the laughs continue to come thick and fast that you'll forget that you're watching more of a remake then a sequel. While not as good as the original, its still a great Saturday night movie and with talk of a 3rd movie this time set in Europe, I'm sure people will come in their droves to see what 'the wolfpack' get up to next.