The Hangover Part II Review

                                                          2 1/2 Nuts

Director: Todd Phillips

This is one review I could have almost written before seeing this film. I know that sounds curious for me as a critic but let’s think about it for a minute. If you watched any trailer for this movie then you know The Hangover Part II is going to be similar in many ways to the original Hangover. Early on in the film the main characters get drunk, wake up to discover their friend missing, and have to find the lost person before one of them gets married by the end.  Part II is the same premise; using the same group of very funny actors and director of the original they manage to keep the plot engrossing so that the audience is interested throughout. Going into this movie I had a good feeling (like many in the audience) that it would still be very funny, however probably not as good as it’s predecessor.

Let’s be real for a minute. If you weren’t expecting lines like” I can’t believe this is happening again”, well then shame on you.  If you go into this movie thinking you are going to see a brand new idea, then you clearly have not seen a preview for this movie.  What I do like is that the trailers didn’t lie to us; the audience knew exactly what they were getting into when they purchased their tickets. 

This time the gang heads out to Thailand for Stu’s wedding.  Stu is played once again by the very funny Ed Helms.  Somehow they get incredibly drunk and lose Stu’s future wife’s younger brother. It’s up to Stu, Phil (Bradley Cooper), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) to find her brother and bring him back. It does sound like a real carbon copy of the first but looking past that, we once again watch as the group tries to figure out what happened the night before. The situations they get into this time prove to be extremely funny, just not quite as funny as they were in the first film.

What works in this movie are the characters. The three main stars once again have terrific chemistry and work well off one another.  Galifianakis is still outrageous, however at times it felt like he was going a bit over the top with his character, which isn’t really necessary. Nevertheless he is still hysterical and provides many of the best lines in the movie.  Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms were also great and I liked them as much as I did in the original.  They are not working with the most unique idea ever but it is impressive how they can still keep the plot moving.

The writer’s apparently were trying to make Hangover II more outrageous than the first film. At times that worked, and regrettably at other time it did not.  If critics had a problem with Bridesmaids’ raunchiness then look out for this one.  Hangover part II shows more male genitalia then you could possibly want. There is one scene that is so strange and gross that it stuck with me for the rest of the film; it should have been taken out.

In a peaNut Shell: This is not as good as the original, not even close. They didn’t really break out of the original mold. The film still manages to be extremely funny despite all it flaws, which is downright impressive.  The movie had some slow parts; however the three main guys are funny enough to keep this comedy going. 

Bridesmaids Review

                                                          3 Nuts!

Director: Paul Feig

Bridesmaids could have just been a typical ‘girly’ movie. We have all seen the previews hundreds of times for films with a similar story line.  Thankfully this film is far better and a hell of a lot funnier than any chick flick in recent memory. To even call this a chick flick may be a stretch because guys bringing their girlfriends to see this movie may find it funnier and more enjoyable than their dates. 

This is a hilarious movie. There is no getting around that.  I know on a second viewing there will be scenes that I will look forward to, just remembering how hard I laughed the first time through.  Kristen Wig, who currently is one of the cast members on Saturday Night Live, plays Annie, a 30 something year old who’s best friend Lillian played by Maya Rudolph is about to get married.  Annie is asked to be the maid of honor which she happily accepts.  Annie then meets the rest of the bridal party and the movie truly takes off from there.The interactions between these 6 women are hysterical. Outrageous scenes take place throughout the film in various settings ranging from a high end dress store to an airplane.  Kristen Wig’s performance proved just how comedic she can truly be. 

At times the film can take it a bit far, and some criticism that I have heard regarding the film is that it can be too raunchy at times. However, removing those parts from the film would in fact be a disservice to the film. Those scenes happen to be some of the funniest moments that the film has to offer.  If toilet humor is something that offends you, then don’t see this film, but you will be missing out on some very funny moments. 

The film has a few slow parts where characters get into fights but those are inevitable in this type of movie. It still has some of the elements of a chick flick.  There is a love story between Kristen Wig and a cop. It is a very standard cheesy side story that is put in just to have a sub plot love story.

In a peaNut Shell: This is a solid comedy.  It has moments where I was almost in tears from laughing so hard.  There is also the occasional moment I could have lived without.  In all, the film works and if you can take the raunchy humor you won’t regret seeing this one. 

Thor Review

                                                         2 1/2 Nuts

Director: Kenneth Branagh

There seems to be a good deal of super hero movies coming out this summer and to start it off we have Thor.  He is a god by day and I guess a god by night as well.  Thor takes place in two worlds, one being our own planet Earth and the other Asgard, a planet in a different realm where Thor resides. Unlike most super hero movies where the protagonist gains his powers through an origin story, Thor already has all of his powers from the onset. 

The film focuses around Thor played by Chris Hemsworth who is soon to replace his father as king of Asgard.  Unfortunately his arrogance gets him cast out of Asgard by his father Oden played by Anthony Hopkins.  He is sent to earth until he learns to change his ways. There he meets up with a group of scientist, the primary one being Jane Foster played by Natalie Portman.  Together they try and find a way to get Thor back to Asgard in time to save his planet from destruction.      

The plot isn’t incredibly intriguing but the action scenes are terrific.  Unfortunately the best action scene in the movie is at the very beginning and the film never seems to attain that level of excitement for the remainder. Although a lot of the action scenes take place in the realm of Asgard, there are still the occasional ones on Earth.  The ones at Asgard look significantly better because these mythical creatures look more believable when they are on a planet as mythical as themselves. The battle scenes on Earth at times look rather silly, simply because Earth and Asgard are such radically different locations.

The movie delivered more laughs than I had anticipated it would.  In the second act, Thor is on planet Earth however he behaves and talks in a way that would come out of a Shakespearen play.   In one scene Thor is sitting in a coffee shop and throws his coffee cup on the floor and demands another.  He is so clearly not from this planet, his actions become very funny. 

Although this isn’t the best super hero movie out there, I couldn’t see any other director doing a better job with this specific super hero’s story.  To make this outrageous concept work on film could not have been an easy task, however the end product is surprisingly well done.

In a peaNut Shell:  Between some very solid action sequences and a decent amount of laughs, Thor proves to be rather enjoyable.  The 2^nd act feels slow at parts but picks up again toward the end.  It may not be the best super hero movie out there but it is far from the worst.