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  Average Rating for The Hangover Part II [2011] - 4 out of 5

  
  (based on 1 user reviews)
• The Hangover Part II [2011]

  Julian Howard 05 January 2012

  

  The Hangover Part 1 was always supposed to be a niche, culty film, a kind of Withnail and I-type celebration of male excess, only set in Las Vegas. However, it succeeded beyond all expectations, reaching a far wider audience than intended and catapulting Bradley Cooper to A-list (or should I say A-Team?) stardom.
  Part 2 is largely a re-enactment set in Thailand, with the same actors and the same basic premise of 'outrageous stag night-wake up with memory loss-fix the mess from last night-get to the wedding on time'. You get the idea. Thailand is shown in all its glory and squalor, from the beauty of the area around 'James Bond island' to the squalor of Bangkok with its colourful nightlife and ability to meet even the most colourful sexual tastes. I'm not sure the Tourist board would approve.
  
  Beyond the distraction of the location itself, where The Hangover Part 2 falls a little flat is in its increased focus on the 'fix the mess from last night' element rather than what actually happened last night. A chase around town involving Paul Giamatti as a gangland boss the morning after fails to excite and the flashbacks seem less frequent than in the first instalment, leading to a frustrating sense that the true story is somehow being kept back from the viewer. Likewise there is a thread of predictability running through the film which even the actors seem to be conscious of. At one point Bradley Cooper's character Phil addresses the thorny issue of the self-styled Wolfpack's amnesia by demanding that everyone empty their pockets for clues as to what may have happened the night before: "You know the drill" he sighs. Yes, Phil, we do.
  
  However, what just about saves this film from the dustbin of sequeldom is the occasional scene which manages to push the boundaries of acceptability and script-writer imagination. Without going into details, let's just say one of Bangkok's infamous ladyboys and a monkey drug-pusher are involved. As for the actors, the standout moments come from unlikely places, such as Ken Jeong's Chow character who nearly steals the show with his ultrasharp camp humour. Likewise, Nirut Sirijanya delivers a cracker of a father in law speech which could not be more insulting or humorous in its use of soggy rice as a metaphor. However, straight-laced Ed Helms is better served in The Office USA while Bradley Cooper is crying out for bigger projects to get his teeth into. At least Mike Tyson delivered his lines a little less flatly this time around, though he does need to work on that singing.
  
  

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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. The Hangover Part II is director Todd Phillips' follow-up to 2009's smash hit The Hangover.   In The Hangover Part II, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don't always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can't even be imagined.   Actors Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Paul Giamatti, Mike Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Mason Lee, Jamie Chung, Sasha Barrese, Gillian Vigman, Aroon Seeboonruang, Nirut Sirichanya, Yasmin Lee, Nick Cassavetes & Sondra Currie Director Todd Phillips Certificate 15 years and over Year 2011 Languages English

Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms reunite for this Todd Phillips comedy sequel. This time round, Alan (Galifianakis), Doug (Bartha), Phil (Cooper) and Stu (Helms) are jetting out to Bangkok for Stu's wedding to his Thai girlfriend (Jamie Chung). With the mortifying memories of Doug's bachelor party in Las Vegas forever etched in everyone's minds, Stu decides to play things safe. Surely nothing can go wrong with a sedate pre-wedding brunch... or can it? The supporting cast includes Liam Neeson and Juliette Lewis, while former president Bill Clinton makes a cameo appearance.