TELEVISION PROGRAMMING FOR JUNE 4-10, 2011

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The MTV Movie Awards marks 20 irreverent years Jason Sudeikis hosts the 2011 MTV Movie Awards on Sunday.

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  $ THE JOURNAL, New Ulm, MN Friday, June 3, 2011 19 Double Take: “: Part II”

Phillips seems to think that and are usually entertaining Josh: Bigger and situations involving, say, when on camera. “Hangover better, but mistaken identity in a Thai II” isn’t the first movie to lacking heart, brothel, are funny in and of show off Thailand’s urban Josh themselves. This is what Josh and natural environments, Matt: Save your it talking about with the lack but the wonder and grime are Moniz of gravity afforded the impressively detailed. They beer money raunchy parts. The best dirty give hope to anyone who has w & comedies have a manic sense ever wanted to loosely struc- Josh: “The Hangover of energy, a giggly belief that ture a film around his or her Part II” is a rare movie that Matt they are being transgressive, vacation and have it earn succeeds at doing the same Voigts ‘getting away with some- $135 million opening week- thing as the original, but big- thing’ – one of many reasons end. ger and better. The jokes are why “Hangover II” feels rote, funnier and dark, and the and, say, “Pink Flamingos” is Josh: You’ll laugh and story had more room to de- adds another funny character still hilarious and depraved have fun with the first view- velop. to the film. The gang from “The Hangover” are shocked to realize almost 40 years after its re- ing, but there’s no point in However, the film sacri- The film’s weakness is its they are in the same film again. lease. watching it again. fices its biggest strength, its inconsistency. Extreme parts degree of plausibility, for the like gross-out infidelities, lost Matt: I’ll admit it – I ting Sarah Marshall” are all Josh: I think Matt makes Matt: The summer’s just sake of playing on a larger fingers and gunshots are haven’t seen the first “Hang- tenderly sympathetic stories a fair point here. A problem beginning. Go outside, get scale. The result is the funni- treated as throw-away jokes, over,” the highest-grossing about how these characters that this film has is that it rest some fresh air, and head back est moments of the franchise, but mundane stuff, like the R-rated comedy of all time. I confront thwarted aspirations too much on your knowledge to the theater when you have but less entertainment over- threat of disappointing an al- don’t know how and strive toward maturity. and expectations of the char- a better reason. all. Part of what made the ready disapproving father-in- and friends’ whacky prenup- Also, they are funny. acters from the first film. In Josh: 6.5/10, Matt: 3.5/10 original great was that no law, is treated as a tial adventures in Thailand Phillips’ regressive man- the first film, you enjoy the matter how ridiculous the life-or-death problem. And, compare to their Vegas ones. children, however, aren’t surprise in the plot that they cast’s antics were, each in- the film makes the mistake of I don’t know which parts are near as deep, and they don’t actually lose one of their sane act was only an ampli- actually crossing moral lines. clever callbacks to part one, change much – except to es- friends. In this one, you al- Synopsis: fied version of something The first film was smart and which are wholesale re- cape the doldrums of their ready know what’s coming, you or your friend could do enough to have the cast go to cycled. But I can say that, adult lives by partying like so it’s harder to invest. In the The gang from “The while binge drinking. “Hang- the edge of moral repug- standing on its own, “The they’re still in college – first film, the characters Hangover” returns for over II” lacks that because of nancy, but never actually Hangover, Part II” feels like something epitomized by the made an engaging, but pleas- another bachelor party, its scale, for better and for cross the threshold. This film a concept in search of a story fact that most contextual antly plausible growth as this time on the out- worse. crosses the threshold, partic- – and jokes, for that matter. clues indicate “Hangover characters. Cooper’s charac- skirts of Bangkok, Thai- The best bits from the ularly with the infidelity and Leading the show – and II’s” characters are doing ter remains a jerk but is less land. They repeat their film were ’ body hiding scenes. The ben- its appeal and problems – is pretty much the same thing severe about it, while Helm’s mistakes by gaining on a return as the man-child of the efit is people that watched the (“Old School,” they did in the last movie. character learns to stick up drunken bender that group and Ed Helm’s return first film get a funny surprise, “”), the poor man’s Not that this is inherently a for himself. In this film, none they must piece back as the group’s “voice of rea- but the tradeoff is that you’re Judd Apatow. In the decade bad climate for comedy, but of the characters advance or toghether the next day in son,” who, ironically, was re- unable to identify with them following the late-90s gross- watching a bunch of idiots develop. order to find a missing sponsible for the most as much. Also, the film crim- out comedy resurgence, both make the same exact stupid companion. extreme acts of the night. The inally underuses Bradley filmmakers have built careers mistakes again (even if this Matt: I have heard from a Starring: Ed Helms, film does ratchet up the scale Cooper, who was a surprise making movies that focus as case, I was technically number of people that the and of their drunken antics in a hit as the jerkish but good- much on characters as watching it for the first time) first film is better, and I will Zach Gilifanakis. pleasantly surprising way. hearted friend. In this film, he raunch. Apatow’s characters, does lose the novelty and sur- leave here on some positive Director: Todd Phillips The use of a drug-dealing barely does anything and is however, are as complex as prise, two elements that fig- notes. The supporting cast – Writer: , monkey (who is essentially slightly less likable than last they are exaggerated, and ured heavily into a lot of including Paul Giamatti and and both the baby and the tiger time. “The 40-Year Old Virgin,” people’s enjoyment of Part I. a returning – try Todd Phillips from the first film) actually “Knocked Up,” and “Forget- It also doesn’t help that their best with the material nuCAT offers Free Classes on Video Production        

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