Saturday, May 28, 2011

Every movie should have a smoking monkey with a Rolling Stones vest. Sadly, they don’t, but the good news for Hangover 2 is, it does. I’ll save you much time in reading this review in your busy schedule, by making it short and sweet.

I liked Hangover 1. And I liked Hangover 2.

I’m sure you’ve heard the hate for Hangover 2. Blah blah, its uninventive. It’s crass. The characters don’t expand. It still trundles along, Teflon-like, raking in the dough at the box office. Good for it. I’m not usually a big fan of sequels, but my question to you moviegoers out there is this: When you see the word “Hangover” and the number “2” in the title, what do you expect?

It’s another hangover. Just like the first one, only it’s in Bangkok, which as my sister says, makes Las Vegas look like child’s play. The wolf pack is back, making bad choices and paying for them, and they are doing it while taking care of each other and showing loyalty and making decisive actions. Bradley Cooper is bleary eyed but somehow manages to look like a million anyway, Ed Helms has more facial drama to repair, Zack Galifianakis is the same funny manchild disaster, and we get Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow saying and acting outrageously again.

The only three real additions are a lost kid brother cello virtuoso played by Mason Lee, a baddie ready to kill played by Paul Giamatti, and a smoking, drug dealing monkey, played by Crystal.

The monkey steals the show.

I thought this was the same funny movie, with the same plot as the first one, and that’s what I expected. I love the way the wolf pack interacts, and I appreciate the friendship that shows through in the movie. It’s a fun distracting mile a minute race to the ridiculous last scene. That’s what the title promises, and that’s what you get.

Now drink up your Jagermeister and shut up.

There’s a well known artist who creates intricate oil paintings of cathedrals around Europe and beautiful well known classical landmarks and then adds a monkey with a lawn mower. He believes any piece of art will be enhanced by adding a monkey.

Clearly he needs to work in Hollywood.