For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Hope that's OK.
Read on!
The
Breakdown - The Hangover: Part 2
The Impression:
One of the biggest comedies of all time get sequelized.
The Reality:
The Hangover: Part 2 has no choice but to end up as
the weirdest movie any of us will see in 2011. The
effort is certainly there. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms
and Zach Galifianakis all turn in performances that at least
equal their work in the first movie, and director/writer
Todd Phillips is clearly trying to put his best foot
forward. However, despite there being a clear amount
of work on the screen, the sequel is also an incredibly lazy
film that leeches off every single gag from the
original. Seriously. You've seen this movie.
In fact, it isn't really as much a sequel as it is a remake
of the original.
So did I hate it? No. I actually thought it was
okay, which must sound bizarre considering I just
threw it under the bus for not doing one damn thing it can
call its own. Like I said, the effort is there (and
the repeat bits will still crack you up), but it's obvious
that everyone involved didn't know what to do to follow-up
the massive success of the first entry, so they took it out
of Las Vegas, placed it in Bangkok, changed a few minor plot
points and then called it a day.
Let's face it though, you're going to undoubtedly see this
over the upcoming holiday weekend, and I don't blame you.
It's not terrible. Just be sure to not re-watch the original so that the
sequel seems fresher than it really is.
The Lesson:
Sometimes the "recipe for success" is one-time use only.
- John Laird
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