Confession time! Thanks to the corporate Christmas party circuit, I am writing this column about The Hangover: Part II with a slight hangover.
Nothing serious, but it does seem appropriate when grappling with Todd Phillips' crazy-ass franchise, which both mocks and glorifies bad behaviour.
The Hangover: Part II debuted on DVD and Blu-ray this week. I have the upscale two-disc combo pack for review. It combines the basic DVD and digital copy on one disc, then offers the high-def version of the movie (along with the bonus features) on disc two. Other buying options, such as the stand-alone DVD or the movie-only Blu-ray, don't make sense because the price difference is too slight. If you love the movie, go for the top-end package.
Part II, with its contrasting scenes of gorgeous and then seedy locations in Thailand, also looks spectacular on Blu-ray. Images are crisp and clean, even when the Wolf Pack boys are bloodied and confused after a night of Bangkok debauchery. The sound quality on the Blu-ray is also first-rate, although that just makes ex-boxer Mike Tyson's singing more obviously out-of-tune at the wedding banquet.
As for the franchise, this is not the end, not when it generates this kind of money at theatres and in the home entertainment market. Part III is already in development. No clues have yet leaked out as to where the Wolf Pack will lose their minds, and scar their bodies, next time.
But there is a cloud of cynicism hanging over the franchise now. In 2009, The Hangover was fresh and a real shocker as a gaggle of goofy friends went to extremes at a Las Vegas bachelor party. With Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis as the core co-stars, with Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor and a very sexy Heather Graham in support roles, The Hangover became the highest grossing R-rated movie made to that point. It cost a modest $35 million and generated $467.5 million in worldwide box office.
The sequel cost $80 million and generated $581.5 worldwide, taking over the R-rated box-office crown. The same core cast returned, with the exception of Graham. But reviews were downbeat and the experience soured. The storyline is almost exactly the same. The action revolves another planned wedding and is just set in Thailand instead of Nevada. The opening setup for The Hangover was electrifying. In Part II, not so much. It even drags. Phillips needs to speed things up next time.
But there are some great passages in the latest movie, along with strong comedy moments and further character development. Part II is not a lost cause, although people do get lost. One smart move is having characters refer back to their Vegas night from two years ago, with sarcastic asides about it all happening again.
On Blu-ray, the extras are interesting, except for the lame gag reel (also a problem with the original movie's Blu-ray). Best is the Unauthorized Documentary. This 24-minute mock-doc is a sly, dry and devastating look at celebrity gone wrong. Pretending that Phillips and his Wolf Pack actors have become drunk with fame and fortune, the mock-doc sets itself up as a piece of investigative reporting. People such as filmmaker J.J. Abrahms play along with the inside joke.
The most transgressive extra is Ken Jeong's tour of Bangkok. The Thai tourist board will hate him for this. The most endearing featurette is on Crystal, the capuchin monkey who was also a star in A Night at the Museum, giving Ben Stiller grief. Crystal is key. The Hangover movies, after all, are monkey business gone mad.
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