Critics’ reviews

The Hangover Part II (2011)

25 reviews from 25 publications. Critics’ score 42: 3 positive, 8 mixed, 14 negative.

Back to our review of The Hangover Part II

42
Positive
3
Mixed
8
Negative
14
Little White Lies
25 May 2011 · 3/4/4 · Matt Bochenski
80

The sequel is bigger, dumber and louder than the original but surprisingly funnier too, thanks to a breezy confidence and escalating absurdity. It delivers irresistible laughs through the Wolfpack's familiar comic set-pieces despite being a shameless rehash.

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The Telegraph
26 May 2011 · ***
70*

The sequel sticks rigidly to the original's structure and gags but moves the action to Thailand, delivering a semi-surreal, taut thriller-like experience full of crude jokes and suspense that keeps viewers engaged until the end credits despite feeling stiffer and more calculated than the first film.

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The Hollywood Reporter
23 May 2011 · THR Staff
60*

The critic finds the sequel less lively and fun than the original due to repeated gags and lack of surprise, but notes it still delivers more laughs than most comedies and is worth watching.

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The New Yorker
30 May 2011 · David Denby
60*

The sequel replicates the characters, structure, and terrors of the original with somewhat less fizz, offering some very funny moments and outlandish dirty jokes but feeling at times like a routine adventure film.

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RogerEbert.com
24 May 2011 · ★★/4 · Roger Ebert
50

The sequel recycles the original's plot structure almost exactly but shifts the setting to Bangkok, delivering raunchy laughs primarily through Galifianakis's character while testing the limits of its R rating.

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Screen Daily
23 May 2011
50*

The film simply re-hashes the original comedy with new characters and setting but follows the template surprisingly closely, making many scenes familiar and less funny. The new Bangkok setting gives it more edge and makes it a touch darker, helping it open bigger though it lacks the original's legs.

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Total Film
23 May 2011 · Jane Crowther
50*

The sequel amps up the original's shock-value gross-out gags and chaotic Bangkok setting to entertaining effect, with strong turns from Cooper and Helms. It falters by over-expanding Alan and especially Mr Chow's roles, which feel like cynical franchise padding at the expense of plotting.

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The New York Times
25 May 2011 · Manohla Dargis
40*

The film is a largely mirthless sequel that numbingly recycles the first movie's script and structure with diminishing returns, though Galifianakis gives Alan a strong current of menace.

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Variety
23 May 2011 · Andrew Barker
35*

The film is little more than a faded copy of its predecessor, with rote professionalism that verges on cynicism and ranks as a considerable disappointment despite occasional sparks.

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Empire
26 May 2011 · Nick de Semlyen
30*

The film is a pale Xerox and listless remake of the original, recycling the exact structure and gags with only superficial changes like the Bangkok location. It delivers some raunchy moments but lacks the first film's surprises and energy.

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Los Angeles Times
26 May 2011 · Betsy Sharkey
30*

This unapologetic money grab is a headache-inducing rehash that loses the fresh perverse pleasure of the original, though it delivers some horribly hilarious moments amid the chaos.

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Time Out
24 May 2011 · Nigel Floyd
25*

The film is exactly the same as the first but set in Bangkok and minus the laughs, serving up a tasteless, warmed-over version with contrived action and overacting. It leaves a sour aftertaste due to homophobia and racial stereotyping despite the predictable happy ending.

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Slant Magazine
25 May 2011 · Nick Schager
20*

The critic describes it as a cowardly cash-in that rehashes the original without novelty or daring, focusing on familiar elements in a new setting but lacking development or surprises.

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The Guardian
26 May 2011 · ★ · Peter Bradshaw
20

The film is a laboured, self-conscious remake rather than a sequel that drains all the fun and invention from the original by repeating every element in a new setting. It feels like a feature-length Christmas special of a sitcom, with only rare flashes of wit amid the formulaic repetition.

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The Times
27 May 2011
20*

The near-humourless sequel squanders the original's absurd tone with predictable, flaccid jokes and a story that feels like toxic sludge as the wolfpack's antics are transplanted to Bangkok with undercurrents of racism and cheap shock value. It is a franchise heading for terminal decline.

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Vulture
27 May 2011 · David Edelstein
20*

The reviewer calls the film atrocious, criticizing its lack of laughs, artistic bankruptcy, and darker, more repulsive tone without the redeeming qualities of the first film.

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Evening Standard
10 April 2012
10*

The sequel slavishly replicates the original's setup, plot beats and device of piecing together the missing night, relocating everything to Bangkok with intensified humiliations but no freshness. The tone turns sour and exploitative, making the whole thing ugly and unfunny.

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The Wrap
25 May 2011
70*

The sequel delivers more of the same raunchy humor as the original, with its predictability being the point; fans of the first film will likely enjoy the deja vu in Bangkok instead of Las Vegas. Galifianakis’ Alan stands out as the strongest and least predictable character, providing the wildest non-sequiturs and laughs.

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Digital Spy
26 May 2011 · ★★★ · Stella Papamichael
60

The film delivers expected déjà vu but benefits from the Bangkok setting and Galifianakis's oddball performance. Phillips keeps it steady without bold changes, steering the sequel safely home.

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/Film
27 May 2011 · David Chen
60*

The critic notes that the film is essentially a remake of the first with duplicated story beats and settings changed to Bangkok but still finds it watchable and enjoyable in a packed screening due to vicious jokes and fantastical scenarios. The lack of originality is acknowledged but the sense of place and gross-out moments help.

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Collider
25 May 2011 · C · Matt Goldberg
57

The sequel clings too closely to the original film's formula and plot beats, delivering familiar laughs but losing its spark amid a Bangkok setting. It trades too much on familiarity at the expense of fresh jokes and pacing, though it offers a grander scale and some solid comic set-ups.

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Den of Geek
26 May 2011 · ★★ · N P
40

The sequel feels like a familiar retread of the first film with fewer surprises and original ideas. The critic enjoyed the photo sequence reveal and found it rude and crude but ultimately disappointing due to repetitive gags.

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HeyUGuys
26 May 2011 · ★★ · Adam Lowes
40

The critic finds the film an uninspired retread of the original that hits all the same beats but barely comes to life with laughs. Familiar elements like the monkey and Mr. Chow fail to compensate for the lack of originality and predictability.

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The Playlist
25 May 2011 · D · The Playlist Staff
37

The critic deems the film a lazy, unpleasant and unfunny mess that is a near carbon copy of the original with no surprises or fresh ideas. The Bangkok setting adds little beyond more outrageous but ultimately stale and phoned-in gags.

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Eye for Film
30 May 2011 · David Graham
30*

The critic calls it the definition of a lazy sequel that repeats the first film's tricks in a new setting without the charm or imagination. While the Thailand scenery is a highlight, the repetition, tonal issues and lack of fresh ideas make it disappointing overall.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate