The Hangover II review, new jokes make up for a repeat formula

It's already been two years?  Holy wow, I can't believe how time flies!  In 2009, The Hangover became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time.  Rightfully so.  With a blend of unique characters, a funny premise, and shock value to boot; it was a homerun.  It catapulted Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis to stardom.  And it proved director Todd Phillips was a someone with longevity in this business.

The first movie followed the three main characters as they tried to find their lost friend after a night they couldn't remember.  The movie took place in Las Vegas and the city was a great backdrop to the story being told.  This time around, the "Wolfpack" finds themselves in a similar situation, only this time, they've lost a friend in Bangkok, Thailand.  Oh no... The Hangover II.

What I liked about the film:
The Wolfpack (including the monkey)

This is an obvious one.  Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis have an unbelievable chemistry together.  The three actors feed and play off of each other so well, they're totally believable in their roles.

Galifianakis steals most of the scenes again, as he did in the first film.  Helms plays the paranoid panic attack very well.  And the contrast to Helms is Bradley Cooper, who never seems to get phased by anything.  Ken Jeong and Paul Giamatti round out some great supporting characters as well.  And don't forget about the much talked about monkey.  Baby Carlos has NOTHING on the cigarette smoking, drug dealing monkey in the sequel.  It was cleverly worked into the film and actually served a purpose in the plot.  Great!

The setting

Vegas was a great place to setup the last film.  It just made sense for the guys to wake up in their hotel room, not remembering much.  This time, they pushed the envelope.  Thailand is so visually busy, the movie will need a second viewing to catch everything.  Tying in Jeong's character into the setting was great.  Watching the movie, you got a real sense of how difficult it was for the cast and crew to work in such busy conditions.  I've read interviews with director, Phillips, where he says it was his most difficult shoot to date.

The one-liners, memorable

I hate when I go to a movie and leave not recalling a thing.  That wasn't the case with this film.  My wife and I left the theater repeating one-liner after the other.  I am well aware of all the criticisms of the film being identical to the first (I'll get to that in a minute), but the movie is very memorable and will hold up against a lot of other comedies out there.


What I didn't like about the film:
Sub-plot
I find myself disliking a lot of film sub-plots.  It's because it feels like the movie wouldn't have suffered if they took it out completely.  Without giving anything away, the sub-plot involves Jeong and Giamatti's characters.  The writers used it as a device to take the main characters from one place to the next, but once the sub-plot is revealed in full, there's no pay off.  I didn't like it and wished they would have written it out of the movie.


The Verdict:
Loved it, KNOWING what I was walking into

I think people just wanted to hate the film.  "It's exactly like the first one."  "They couldn't have thought of anything better?"  Interesting how you weren't criticizing the movie while laughing so hard I couldn't hear the dialogue.  Look, the first trailer showed us all that it was going to have the EXACT same format as the first film.  So I knew what I was getting myself into and was very content with it.  To me, it was fresh and funny in ways the first one wasn't; and it was enough to satisfy my hunger for another grown-up comedy after Bridesmaids.  Check out The Hangover II, you will not be disappointed!

Due Date DVD review

DVD reviews give us a chance to review a movie that we may not have seen in theaters.  Or, we saw it in theaters and we were too lazy to review it.  Or, we want to give you all a heads up as to what cool extras are on the DVD or Blu-Ray. 

Due Date is directed by Todd Phillips who's helped create such hits as Old School and The Hangover.  It stars the amazing Robert Downey Jr. and 'Hangover' breakout star, Zach Galifianakis. 

Downey is about to be a father, but is on the opposite side of the country, and needs to get to his wife.  Due to hilarious events, he can't fly, so he MUST take a road trip with Galifianakis, an aspiring actor.  Hilarity ensues as they start their road trip across country with a little dog, no money and a ton of funny situations.  I'm gonna start.

What I liked about the film:
It's Simplicity

This film is very simple and very straight forward.  Two guys who have nothing in common, who are very different from each other, are forced to drive cross country.  There is some physical comedy but for the most part, it's grounded in reality.  I'm starting to mention that more and more in my reviews because I'm realizing it's a vital part of my movie-going experience.  If I can't relate, it doesn't equate.  Sorry, I had a Johnnie Cochran moment.

The Cast

Downey is one of my favorite actors, and Galifianakis is right there.  The two play such contradictory characters, they're bound to clash from time to time.  They play off each other like a game of ping pong.  Downey is great as a stuffed shirt, always serious, business man.

Galifianakis basically plays a variation of his character in 'Hangover', but it's still different enough for it to be fresh.  That's why it's not a "dislike" on my review.  He has a few emotional scenes in the film that gave me a whole new perspective on him as an actor, kudos for showing some range.

The supporting cast is great, including one of my favorites, Danny McBride, also Michelle Monaghan and Jaime Foxx.  Good stuff.

Director
Todd Phillips just has a knack for these comedies.  If you look at his work, he always has a terrific cast and supporting cast to carry the film.  His movies all have that "it could happen" feel, as well as relateable characters.  He also knows how important timing is when it comes to comedy.  The jokes and execution are perfect.  Nicely done, again.


What I didn't like about the film:
Sub Plot

Without giving too much away, there is a sub plot in the film that doesn't really ever go anywhere.  It involves Monaghan and Foxx's characters and it felt so stupid and a complete filler.  It's not enough to write off the movie or anything, its just one aspect that didn't work.


The Blu-Ray:
A Let Down
There aren't too many features to jump up and down for.  Also, it's important to note that if you want any features at all, you'll have to shell out $24.99 for the Blu-Ray/DVD combo.  The single Blu-Ray and single DVD don't have any features at all.  The combo has the complete "Two and a half Men" scene that is mentioned throughout the film.  It has a few mash-ups featuring scenes already in the film.  A short featurette about Galifianakis' character and a gag reel.  That's it. 

The Verdict:
Buy the DVD
The film is great in my opinion.  The actors, the story, the direction are all great.  The movie is a definite buy in my book.  But I would go with the DVD.  There are no scenes that require 1080p visuals, and the features fall flat on the expensive Blu-Ray combo.  Get the good 'ol regular DVD for $13.99 on Amazon.com.  Great price for a new release.  Enjoy!

"Due Date" Poster

Todd Phillips directed, Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis starring, Due Date. Just for kicks, here's the poster. Also, check out the trailer here.