The Hangover Part II: How does this keep happening?

They keep asking this question throughout the first half of the movie, and I found myself asking the same thing through the second half. In 2009 Todd Phillips had the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time, so asked himself why change a winning formula, and for those looking for more of the same, the answer is he didn't.

What was great about the first one was that, you had no idea what was coming. Each moment they tried to up the ante. Phillips had a hand in writing this one and I'm not sure what he did, but it looks like he took the last script and copied over all the big points and put them in the exact same spot. I'd be interested to see what would happen if you screened the two movies together side by side, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the same jokes hit at the exact same time.

But for what it's worth, this time it's not Doug that is getting married it’s Stu, played again by Ed Helms. The bride to be is not Heather Grahmn's character but rather a very nice Taiwanese girl named Lauren, played by Jamie Chung. And as a favor she asks Stu to bring along her brother Teddy, who plays the role of Doug by getting lost in the city. Phillips may think that by moving the location to a foreign city that this is enough to increase the danger, but really all it does is force them to ask for directions a lot.

Bradley Cooper is back as the leader of the wolf pack, while Zach Galifianakis is back as the stay at home son. All three men do a fine job reprising their roles; Galifianakis is a little more on the annoying side this time around, but the other two male leads play opposite him so graciously that it still works. Ken Jeong is around a little more this time as the effeminate gangster and it is a welcome addition to mix things up a little bit, he adds to the chemistry of the crew and takes some of the jokes that would be delivered by Galifianakis which is a welcomed new delivery.

With Mr. Chow now part of the crew Paul Giamatti is playing the role of the gangster they need to help. And that isn't the only substitution they have, Stu still has his song, but this time he is rockin out on the acoustic guitar. Playing the role of the tiger/baby is a chain-smoking drug dealing capuchin monkey. This year Stu's missing tooth was played by Mike Tyson's tattoo which I'm sure most of you saw in the trailers. They still go to a strip club where Stu falls in love with one of the dancers, which while repetitive leads to one of the funnier moments in the movie.

But really who am I to judge just this past weekend I woke up in my clothes wondering how the night finished off only to find out that my buddy almost got raped, my other friend fooled around with some girl on the floor, I hit on a bridesmaids relentlessly while enraging her big black boyfriend, broke a door at a hotel, and then as retribution most of my crew including myself got punched in the crotch Johnny Cage style. So I could probably ask myself the same question, how does this stuff keep happening, and then I remember, it's because I am looking for a good time. The movie is ridiculous and repetitive, but if you know what you are getting into before you walk in, it can be a good time and really funny. C+

Valentine's Day

Many people who know me know that I hate the horror genre. Its predictable and the surprises are never all that surprising and unless you have teenage girls in the front row screaming at every little thing then there really is nothing scary at all besides the production value. The romantic-comedy genre is almost the exact same there are no real surprises as you know how all these movies end, you need girls with you to appreciate the movie but for some reason I like this genre. I absolutely hate brownies, but I love cookies. They're borderline the exact same thing, but one just tastes better going down.

I tried to think of an analogy to compliment cotton candy but I could not think of a dessert that was similar enough, because that's what this movie is. This movie is pink, light, fluffy and has no substance to it.

That being said the movie is enjoyable. If you don't particularly care for one of the actors or the plot lines, don't worry there will be a new one in a minute. Don't like thinking, this movie doesn't give you anything to think about. Wanna text your friend during the movie, go for it. Just pick your least favorite actor, let's say Topher Grace, and whenever he is on the screen go ahead and check the phone. Even if you miss every aspect of his story there are like 19 other stories to concern yourself.

Most of the movie for me was trying to remember who the girl was that was banging McDreamy, I knew it started with a 'Je' but so many of the other actors in the movie start with the same thing (turns out it was Jennifer Garner) that was what most of my brain power went towards.
That is the advantage to this type of movie making, you get the group rate. The actor's pick up an easy pay check as they only need to be shooting for a couple days and the audience gets a plethora of different actors so it can reach across to a variety of different fans.

Gerry Marshall does a good job getting a variety of different perspectives on how each group feel about love from the young white heterosexuals to the old white heterosexuals. And while this movie is easy to take in, one group was offended that it was not represented and advertised properly for. Reason being as it turns out to be a one of the two nice little twist later on in the movie. Needless to say there is literally no reason for anyone to be offended by this movie. I mean besides the performances, the writing, and the cliche selections in music.

While I may be bashing this movie the truth is bad rom-coms are a guilty pleasure. While they may always end the same at least it leaves you with a little smile and who knows maybe a little hope. This movie has probably already past its expiration date, but no worries there will be one just like it soon enough as these type of movies tend to go in and out of season. D-