"Hangover II" will leave you on the wagon or thirsting for more
(CBS) "Debauchery," according to the Merriam-Webster, is "immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society."
That does not even begin to describe the crass, lewd depravity that forms the hallmark of Todd Phillips' much anticipated, genuinely funny - in parts - sequel to his 2009 runaway R-Rated comedy.
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Genitalia - male genitalia to be precise (in all sorts of shapes and sizes) - is the star. The guys are just the appendages and the story is the same one we've seen before, just with new scenery.
"Hangover II" opens with an all-too-familiar phone call. "It happened again," Bradley Cooper ("Phil") says to "Doug," who is sitting poolside trying to figure out where everyone is.
Unlike in the 2009 original, in which Doug is an AWOL groom after a drunken bender in Vegas the night before his big day, this time it's "Stu," (Ed Helms) who's set to get married in exotic Thailand.
Problem is, Stu, along with sidekicks Phil and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) have lost Stu's 16-year old brother-in-law- to-be, Teddy, (Mason Lee) a Stanford pre-med prodigy. It happened after a simple drink on the beach the night before the wedding turned into a debauchery the likes of which has never been seen in a Hollywood film.
The crew wakes up (you guessed it) completely hung over in a cheap, seedy Bangkok hotel room that has been completely trashed. Alan's head has been shaved; the groom-to-be is sporting a huge tattoo on one side of his face and Teddy is missing, although a bloodied finger sporting a Stanford college ring is lying on the couch. I'll let you connect the dots.
What ensues is a series of WTF moments that will leave you as much shocked as humorously entertained. Their minds completely obliterated by their booze-and-drug binge, the guys try to piece together what transpired the night before. They find themselves on a set of raunchy misadventures as they search for Teddy amid crime and prostitution in the underbelly of Bangkok.
The humor is riotous in parts. A scene in which a completely stoned Alan gives a speech at the rehearsal sets the scene for the night of raucous adventure that follows. Another scene, with Stu, Alan and Phil in a boat in the Bangkok river, will leave you in stitches. Stu suddenly breaks into song, bringing home his own version of Billy Joel's classic "Allentown."
Other moments, however, may leave you gasping instead of giggling. In particular, a scene involving Stu's encounter with a prostitute in a strip club will stay with you for days (even if you try your hardest to forget).
There are other "colorful" characters Phillips uses to up the ante. Most notable is Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) who returns and is hysterical as a crazy, narcissistic cocaine-snorting thug. Paul Giametti makes a dynamic scene-stealing appearance, providing an ultimatum to the fellas.
Stu's bride-to-be "Lauren" (Jamie Chung) adds the necessary glamour and beauty to offset scenes of crammed Bangkok backstreets. Lauren's father, played by Nirut Sirichanya, is also notable, particularly in his derisive toast to his future son-in-law, comparing him to a bowl of goopy rice pudding.
If not necessarily for everyone, the raunchy humor is sure to appeal to the film's fan base , who have been counting the days to the Warner Bros release. It will also pick up a significant number of new viewers wanting to sample the outrageous shenanigans these guys get into.
The film also has legions of fans worldwide salivating. Warner Bros is releasing the film in 40 countries at the same time, leading to conservative estimates of ticket sales just north of the$100 million mark, with a big push already under way and continuing over the long Memorial Day weekend.
If watching a bunch of guys getting drunk and stoned is your thing, The Hangover : Part II will keep you in stitches. For the rest of us, there's always "Kung Fu Panda 2."
