2011 Movie Preview: “The Hangover 2″

Everybody was quoting the original "Hangover" a few summers back and this years' sequel will be either a repeat performance culturally, or just a repeat. A lot of comedy sequels rely too heavily on the formula of their predecessor but "The Hangover 2" could definitely break the cycle.

#2. The Hangover 2: Todd Phillips had been making funny movies long before "The Hangover"  surprised everyone by being a huge blockbuster. He wrote and directed movies like "Road Trip", "Old School", "Starsky and Hutch", ok that one sucked actually...but the point I'm trying to make is that the dude knows funny. I knew that the movie would be great when I saw that Zack Galiafaiankaiatiksxks was in it, he has been a hilarious comedian for years and his success was LONG overdue. The big surprise about the original was how much money it made, 277 million was enough to make it the #3 grossing R-rated film of all time . It was topped only by "The Passion of the Christ" and "The Matrix Reloaded"...oddly both movies about Jesus (whether it be literally or metaphorically). So obviously the sequel was a no-brainer, the only thing studios care about is the bottom line. That's why the only projects that get the green-light these days are films that will make a profit, and if it's a sequel the original better have made it rain at the box office. One example that this system has failed is the story of  "Anchorman 2"; The studio refuses to make the movie because the original was more of a cult hit with only a 47 million dollar take at the box office despite the fact that the stars (who are ALL big name actors now) Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carrell agreed to take pay cuts to make the movie happen. Hollywood sucks! Lets just be thankful that sometimes lightning strikes and you get a sequel to a movie that was actually funny.

"The Hangover 2" will have Stu (Ed Helms) getting hitched this time around and in attempt to avoid the problems they experienced in Vegas, his bachelor party is replaced by a brunch in Thailand. Of course everything gets effed up but details are scarce at this time and honestly, I'd rather it stay that way until I see it. Mike Tyson will reprise his role as...himself and the film will feature cameos from Liam Neeson (who replaced Mel Gibson because several cast members didn't want to work with him in light of his recent behavior off screen), and even former president Bill Clinton.

The original movie was hilarious the first time I saw it but didn't hold up as well on repeat viewings, this is the opposite of my reaction to most comedies I love. Usually I'm underwhelmed initially and then they become funnier upon repeated viewings. I'm just hoping the sequel can make me laugh a few times whether it's on the first viewing or the fifth. Most comedy sequels suck because they repackage the first films jokes and basically make the same movie in a different setting. I hope Todd Phillips is smarter than that because the minute the movie becomes predictable, is the minute it becomes not funny. " The Hangover 2" is slated for release Memorial Day weekend (May 26th) 2011.