Release Date: December 6, 2011
Rating: R
Running Time: 102 minutes

Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. What could go wrong? Director Todd Phillips’ explosively funny follow-up to his award-winning smash hit demonstrates that though what happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, what happens in Bangkok can hardly be imagined!

When it was announced that The Hangover was getting a Part II, fans of the first film, myself included, were thrilled with the news but also questioned how anything afterwards could be as good or better than the first. Simply put, it can’t. But The Hangover Part II was a good attempt. What’s great about the film is that whether or not you found it to be entertaining, it is clear that everyone involved had a great time working on this project.

Where the film goes wrong is that the foundation is the same as the first film. A wedding takes them to their next city of destruction. Alan is to blame for what transpires. Stu once again damages his pretty face. Doug, once again is not involved in the day after festivities of figuring out what happened the night before. And there’s a photo montage at the end of the film detailing all that happened. I had hoped we would find out more about what they did along the way the second time around. But no luck.

It’s all too recycled to call this a great sequel. A good remake, maybe. There are simply far too many throwbacks to see this film as good on its own. That’s not to say that this film doesn’t have its laugh out loud moments. But it’s all too rehashed that the funnier bits are moreso in the offhand comments. It must be pointed out though the wonderful jobs on the directing, cinematography, locations, music. Still, if there’s the option to watch The Hangover or The Hangover II, I choose The Hangover. But if your expectations weren’t very high and you enjoyed The Hangover II, you’ll really enjoy the the Blu-ray edition!

Bonus Features:
Unauthorized Documentary (25:26 minutes) – Call it a parody or mockumentary. Call it what you want but don’t call it a documentary. “Documentarian Filmmaker,” Miles Davis-Davidson is on a mission to find footage that exposes what really happened in Bangkok. Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms are deemed the bad guys. Bradley Cooper’s true appearance is questioned. Ken Jeong is the paranoid one, not willing to be the snitch…and Justin Bartha is just grateful for the attention. It’s quite a funny little extra though it could have definitely been cut in half length wise and still been just has, perhaps even more hysterical.

Appearing in this Feature:
Documentary Filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock
Director, JJ Abrams (Super 8, Star Trek)
Cast Members, Gillian Vigman, Sasha Barrese, Matt Walsh, Jamie Chung, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Bryan Callen, Zach Galifianakis
VP & Editorial Director of Variety, Peter Bart
Producer, Todd Black (A Knight’s Tale)
Behind the Scenes Filmmaker, Stefan LaFrontier
Production Spokesperson, Tom Glaylock
Zach’s Stand In, Ethan Drulay
Jimmy’s Au’s For Men 5’8′ and Under, Alan Au
Production Assistant, Jerome Sussman
Expert Lab Technician, Dr. Jay Solnit
Talent Liaison, Lori Ruggiero
Crystal’s Trainer, Tom Gunderson
Production Chef, Wm. Diego
Director/Writer/Producer, Todd Phillips

The Comedy Rhythm of Todd Phillips (6:59 minutes) – This is a great feature on director, Todd Phillips even though it only just begins to cover the surface of how great of a director and collaborator he is. Todd’s directing style, sense of humor, openness to improvisation and more are touched upon in this feature. It’s a great feature worth watching and getting a feel for what it’s like working with one of the most collaborative directors out there today.

Not Your Everyday Monkey (2:41 minutes) – If you like monkeys, animal actors, or witnessing Bradley Cooper’s love for animals, this short feature is just for you. This feature did not really do anything for me other than continue to be amazed at how well animals take direction (on scree)n. Also appearing in this feature are Crystal’s Trainer, Tom Gunderson and Director/Writer/Producer, Todd Phillips.

Bangkok Tour with Chow (3:03 minutes) – Ken Jeong takes viewers on a tour of Bangkok in character. I use the word “tour” loosely as you’re really just following him as he rides through the town, getting glances of the town here and there. Even though Chow at times is actually quite annoying to me, I actually found this feature to be more hilarious than the “documentary.”

* Gag Reel (4:53 minutes)
* Action Mash-Up – (46 seconds)

Own The Hangover Part II on Blu-Ray and DVD today.