The Hangover: Part II
Direction: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis
Rating: *1/2
A rusty retread of the sleeper 2009 stag-night comedy, The Hangover :Part II reunites the hedonistic wedding smashers (Cooper-Galifianakis-Ed Helms) with director Todd Philips. Unfortunately, no one in the bunch has actually developed the characters from the original. Repellent as ever, their attempts at eliciting guffaws are both desperate and humiliating.
The creaky screenplay (co-penned by the director) could have used a fresh injection of ideas. As it is, we are subjected to the same improbable situations, only instead of Las Vegas the setting has shifted to Thailand.
This time around, it’s the dentist (Helms) whose nuptials are looming. The pal trio gathers at a seaside resort for the pre-wedding party. Next: they wake up the following day in a squalid Bangkok hotel. What the hell happened? Who cares?
During the course of their misadventures, the threesome encounter an Asian hoodlum, Russian thugs, a drug-dealing monkey (yes, you read right) and in a repeat bit of stunt casting, Mike Tyson.
There’s a swamp of gross gags, slapstick shenanigans, not to mention some uncomfortable racial stereotyping. The only bright spot is an energetic performance by Paul Giamatti in the supporting role of a duplicitous ‘crime lord’.
Otherwise, the whole run-of-the-mill excursion leaves a vulgar aftertaste. Enough endured already.
{{/usCountry}}Otherwise, the whole run-of-the-mill excursion leaves a vulgar aftertaste. Enough endured already.
{{/usCountry}}