Big Screen Blurb: The Hangover Part II

What can top marrying a hooker, stealing Mike Tyson's tiger and a cop car, kidnapping a criminal lord and pulling out your own tooth? That's Vegas, right! What can top that? Well, apparently the topper is: Bangkok.

Irony. That's the comedic angle explored by The Hangover Part II, a slant that has drawn ire from critics for it's lack of a new storyline. But let's be honest, how are you going to top The Hangover? An attempt to create a new storyline would have very likely fallen flat on its face. However, exploring the irony of having yet another night of insane shenanigans full of dastardly consequences, all of which were permanently missing from the ole memory banks...happen AGAIN!??! Irony begins to look like an inviting angle, right? It requires the same amount of creative genius that a new storyline might--it just shifts that genius into coming up with new slants on an already historic tale.

This time, it's Stew's turn to get hitched. He's met a beauty from Thailand. With her strong family connections to her native land, the wedding is to be held there. That means, Phil, Doug and Alan join Stew (Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms) for a trip to the neighboring hemisphere. Stew is already having trouble with the in-laws, specifically his father-in-law, who likens Stew to boring, tasteless rice in the ole coveted pre-wedding dinner toast. Sure, papa-in-law is just being protective, but his real pride and joy is his son. Enter Teddy. Teddy is a budding genius. He's a handsome, 16 year old that is already in pre-med at Stanford and who takes cello play to classical heights. Yes, everyone loves Teddy, except Alan. Alan is equally protective of the wolfpack, whose membership seems to be stalled at four with no new pack members allowed. Meanwhile, the bachelor party is nixed with clear memories still in tow of the Vegas night that will actually never be remembered. Instead, it's a quiet night on the beach with a bonfire, some beer and a bag of marshmallows. Yadayadayada...Phil, Stew and Alan wake up befuddledly in the middle of Bangkok's grunge with pounding headaches and a whole host of problems to accompany them. 

Forget the critics. I loved it. Another 5-Star effort for the wolfpack. Yes, it is the same story, but as already mentioned, I think the creative genius here stems from the irony of a truly 'once-in-a-lifetime' series of events happening twice, with the recreation of a previously incredible storyline holding all new 'same-but-different' twists. No, they didn't steal a tiger...this time, it's a drug-lording monkey. No, they didn't lose Doug again...this time, it's Teddy, the family crown jewel of Stew's wife to be. No, Stew didn't marry a hooker in Vegas...this time, he just--well, let's leave a few surprises, shall we?

The Hangover Part II ...see it and see it BIG! That's it for me for another week of avoiding mowing the yard...it didn't need it this week anyway so I'm just going to fire up the grill and commence with the weekend de Memorial!!! Enjoy!

True...OUT!

Big Screen Blurb: Bridesmaids

If you've ever felt completely inadequate, you're probably going to relate to Annie (Kristen Wigg). She's the headline bridesmaid in Bridesmaid, a flick about the ups and downs of friendships, relationships and yes, life in general.

Yeah, Annie's life has hit a lull of sorts. Her business has failed. Her boyfriend dumped her as the business bottomed out. Her bummer of a car is constantly bottoming out and her two roommates are, well, let's just say they're not exactly on the same page. Annie's bright spot seems to be her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). However, Lillian has just announced her engagement to Doug. Of course, being human, this prompts Annie to focus this news as a direct reflection of her life's direction. Yeah...to sum up...bad relationships, dead-end career, etc. It's all good; or so we think, because Annie seems to have regrouped in time to be Lillian's maid of honor, but it seems that even that role is being challenged, even usurped by the surging friend, Helen. Helen (Rose Byrne) seems perfect in about every way. She's wealthy, sophisticated, and seems poised to steal the show from Annie. Yadayadayada...the two battle it out as Annie travels along life's path of life lessons on the way to some ass-biting enlightenment.

It's funny. Okay...it's beyond funny. It chalks up a 'hilarious' ranking at times thanks to a balanced cast of comedians. Each bridesmaid fills a 'funny' role to perfection, which serves to keep the hilarity rolling from the bridesmaid dress fitting to the reception and much in-between. Megan (Melissa McCarthy) nails the uncouth role in the group. There's the frustrated mother of three and the naive, dazed and confused newlywed. Add Annie's discombobulated life and Helen's perfection and you've got a wedding cast ready to deliver 4.0 Stars worth of laughter.

It's 125 minutes in length, which is probably a tad too long. And yes, there are one or two moments that are a bit over the top--not over the top funny, but rather over the top dramatic as Annie expresses her frustration with Helen's usurping of the former's role. Plus, there's Annie's life lessons centered on her relationships and life direction to contend with...but hey, there's gotta be a lesson present somewhere, right? We've got to feel like we've inched toward a positive moral conclusion for our two-hour investment, right? Well, at any rate, even with a few ups and downs, it's anchored throughout with a good deal of funny that makes it all work.

See this one and see it BIG. (Unless potty humor isn't your thing, then you might want to skip it all together!)

True...OUT!