"The Hangover Part II" Delivers The Laughs
BIRMINGHAM (WWJ) - If you're in the mood for laughter – and lots of it – you'll definitely want to see "The Hangover Part II." This sequel to the 2009 smash hit "The Hangover," gets the laughs started early and keeps 'em comin'.
"The Hangover Part II" once again pairs Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) as best friends and members of The Wolfpack. Stu is preparing to get married to the girl of his dreams, Lauren, but because of his previous disastrous bachelor party, he decides he wants no part of a traditional bachelor party this time around. Instead, he opts for a safe "bachelor brunch." They travel to Thailand for the wedding, and two nights before the big day, Stu agrees to a bonfire on the beach and just one beer each. That turns out to be the domino that sets everything else in motion.
Thailand is where the wedding is set to take place because that is where Lauren's parents are from. Why did the screenwriters decide that setting the movie in Thailand would provide the perfect follow-up location to Vegas, site of the original "Hangover" movie?
"We knew we had to adhere to certain tenets of the (original) movie," says Bradley Cooper. "We wanted aspects we loved from the first film to be in this one, but in a fresh, totally new context."
"When you go to battle with Vegas, everyone speaks English, you can get where you need to go, you can use a phone and call someone," screenwriter Scot Armstrong added. "But in Bangkok, you're navigating a place that's totally unfamiliar. You have no straws to grab on to."
Producing a follow-up to a film as successful as "The Hangover" can be a daunting task, but the cast and crew behind "The Hangover Part II" live up to the challenge. "The Hangover Part II" is not only funny, it's clever as well. Plus, the scenery is gorgeous, which is just one more reason not to miss it.
"The Hangover Part II" gets my vote as one of the summer's "must-see" movies.
"The Hangover Part II" opens in theaters on Thursday, May 26.
Click here for "The Hangover Part II" website.
- Terri Lee, Entertainment Reporter
Follow Terri on Twitter @TerriJLee
