The hugely popular, highly anticipated sequel to The Hangover, The Hangover Part II has shattered all box office records. Director/writer Todd Phillips’ sequel to the American comedy release The Hangover (2009) is a massive success with the wolf pack reuniting in Thailand for a second epic adventure involving car chases, illegal business deals, and of course, the lovable and unforgettable Ken Jeong. Phil (Bradley Cooper: Limitless, Yes Man, The A Team), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), Doug (Justin Bartha), and Stu wake up in an unfamiliar apartment to find out that it’s happening again. Teddy is missing. Stu has to face the most unbearable realizations of the night as the gang backtracks to fill in the missing pieces. A smoking, drug-dealing, monkey is the funny, scene stealing best addition to the story and everyone’s favorite. The cast members loved working with him and didn’t mind being upstaged by such an endearing animal. In the world of sequels this one is just what the public was craving – a mental break, a chance to laugh at something somewhat clever and really ridiculous.

The storyline of The Hangover: Part II is the exact same as the first one. One of the members of the group is getting married, somebody important goes missing, and the wolf pack must piece together what happened ‘last night’ in order to find him. Stu (Ed Helms: The Office) is getting married to a beautiful Thai girl, Lauren (Jamie Chung), and invites the gang to Thailand for a bachelor party. Lauren’s father is a passionate man who is dedicated to hard work and driving his children to success. Her younger brother Teddy (Mason Lee) of only 16 is already in university and is her father’s prized possession. And so the romp begins…

If the box office vote is what counts then this movie deserves 10 stars. For a truly cinematic evaluation it doesn’t fare so well. Nothing in the film is unexpected. The magic of the original is not relived and unfortunately, the sequel is a direct repetition. A little more originality and creativity would have made this movie a greater cinematic success but winning Oscars was probably never the goal.

Kayla Colvin