Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

The Hangover: Part II (2011)

Director: Todd Phillips

Time Out rating

Average user rating

37 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Your head hurts like hell, the whole thing feels horribly familiar, and it’s just not funny any more. Can this really be happening again? Todd Phillips’s sequel to (remake of?) his rude adult comedy about a stag night snafu is not so much more of the same as exactly the same, but set in Bangkok and minus the laughs.

During their Vegas bachelor night debauch, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) lost the groom on the eve of his wedding; this time, they lose the Thai bride’s innocent 16-year-old brother on the eve of her marriage to Stu. Last time, the trio found a baby in their trashed hotel room; this time they get to babysit a capuchin monkey. Previously, dentist Stu lost a tooth and married a stripper; on this occasion, he gets a facial tattoo and is butt-fucked by a transvestite hooker. The camp, angry Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) sprang from the locked boot of their car; the hotel’s locked ice machine serves the same function here.

The generic car chases and gunplay – involving Russian gangsters, a sinister wheeler-dealer (Paul Giamatti) and Mr Chow’s dodgy dealings – are contrived and unexciting. Since the dialogue isn’t funny, everyone overacts to make up for the lack of humour or threat. Together with co-writers Scot Armstrong and Craig Mazin, director Phillips serves up a tasteless, warmed-over version of the same dish, spiced with local Thai colour. Also, despite a predictably sweet happy ending, the script’s homophobia and racial stereotyping leave a sour aftertaste.

Author: Nigel Floyd

Time Out London Issue 2127: May 26 – June 3, 2011

Email Tweet Share

User reviews of this film

racistmovie said...

Posted on May 18 2012 13:57 This movie was a huge slap in the face to asian people - very culturally insensitive and distasteful. This is the problem with Hollywood. Brainwashing and promoting stereotypes creating divisive mindsets and planting seeds of culturally acceptable racism.

Report as inappropriate
Will said...

Posted on Oct 14 2011 19:02 Agree with this review. Boring film!

Report as inappropriate
Thomas Noctor said...

Posted on Jul 06 2011 16:34 Excellent Comedy, film of the year so far!

Report as inappropriate
dave bob squarepants said...

Posted on Jun 30 2011 09:33 wtf, giving the hangover 2 1 star. are you pissed, 5 STARS idiots

Report as inappropriate
Bobby Miller said...

Posted on Jun 27 2011 17:23 THE COMMENT YOU TYPE IN THIS BOX WILL APPEAR

Report as inappropriate
David said...

Posted on Jun 21 2011 02:55 Have to agree with the majority here. It's crass and witless stuff but has a good moment at the end. When they've figured out what happened when they were all drunk one of them recharges his phone to find he has taken pictures of everything that happened so as the credits roll you see the shots. Otherwise, bleurgh!

Report as inappropriate
rogerrabbit said...

Posted on Jun 19 2011 12:03 rearrange this E S I T H !!!!!

Report as inappropriate
Barry Norman Lives said...

Posted on Jun 16 2011 07:52 If your IQ is higher than the sequel number don't bother

Report as inappropriate
William said...

Posted on Jun 10 2011 17:31 The only reason I went to this movie was to see the Bangkok & Krabi locations. Tasteless and not funny at all as far as I am concerned!

Report as inappropriate
jock said...

Posted on Jun 09 2011 09:25 same as the first---IE ok,, no where near the humour of Due date,but bearable---

Report as inappropriate
Roberto said...

Posted on Jun 07 2011 16:21 All you people who don't rate this film are low life's. Very good film. Very funny. How can you say it's not. *******

Report as inappropriate
_Matt_77_ said...

Posted on Jun 06 2011 16:59 PS "average" is probably a little harsh; I meant "comparatively average". It's not mediocre. It's good, but it doesn't rate as "very good" and certainly not as outstanding.

Report as inappropriate
_Matt_77_ said...

Posted on Jun 06 2011 16:56 As someone who absolutely loved Hangover (I think I gave it *****) and who really enjoyed Paul (I think I gave it ****), I found Hangover II to be occasionally, even fairly regularly hilarious (in an utterly puerile way, of course), but I felt that it suffered from a slow build-up and that the moments of hilarity were just a bit too thinly spread. Overall it was an entertaining comedy but not a true classic in the tradition of Hangover. I find it very disappointing that the outstanding Hangover should be followed by such an average, middle-of-the-road offering, but it's still worth viewing. My friend (who had not seen Hangover) really enjoyed Hangover II despite the fact that Hangover II references Hangover in a number of places, effectively creating in-jokes which my friend was excluded from.
...
Why does the official review contain so many spoilers? Also, this movie does not have racist or homophobic undertones, and whilst it follows the same general format as the previous film, it's certainly not a carbon copy of it.

Report as inappropriate
TRUTHTELLER. said...

Posted on Jun 05 2011 17:08 Ignore the movie police who want to have every film judged by whether it makes a social statement, gives us a lecture, or tries to shove their its down out throat , whereas the rest of us just go the movies to be entertained.
As usual, the movie police are wrong.
This movie is a whole lot of fun and I laughed a lot.
I actually thought it was better than the first one and I liked that one too!
Looking forward to Part #3!

Report as inappropriate
Ric said...

Posted on Jun 04 2011 09:45 What a sequel. Its a must see if you loved the 1st Hangover. Alan steals the show again!

Report as inappropriate