Skip to content

Hair of the Dog

The Hangover Part II
Hangover 2
Zack Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Ed Helms star in Hangover Part II, this time in Thailand.

The Hangover Part II

In terms of raunchy, boys-off-the-leash blowouts, The Hangover was a huge critical and popular success. In that instance, what happened to four guys on a bachelor party did not “stay in Vegas” — it had people guffawing around the globe. A sequel was inevitable. And, almost inevitably, it’s a lame rehash where the best laughs come during the end credits as we see candid snapshots taken during filming.

In Hangover, Part II milquetoast dentist Stu (Ed Helms) is once again set to be married, this time to a gorgeous Thai woman. The wedding is planned for a fancy resort outside of Bangkok, and Stu’s “wolf pack” trio of buddies are invited. Bad idea!

Needless to say, the guys wake up the morning before the wedding in a Bangkok flophouse, having lost the bride-to-be’s beloved 17-year-old brother Teddy along the way. And, once again afflicted by amnesia, they slowly piece together an evening of debauchery whose highlights include street riots, kidnapping a monk, and a very personal encounter with one of Thailand’s notorious she-male prostitutes. So, do they get Stu to the church on time? Sadly, the audience really won’t care.

Despite a bigger role for deranged Asian criminal Mr. Chow (the very funny Ken Jeong), a snappy cameo for Mike Tyson, and a chain-smoking monkey sporting a Rolling Stones leather vest, Part II is a dud. Although the scriptwriters are at pains to be crude and shocking — admittedly not an easy feat these days — the underwritten dialogue is rarely funny and the plot bellyflops between the barstools marked Laboured and Lazy. In short, this is a Hangover you don’t need.

 

Rating: **