"Hangover" sequel takes $31 million on first day

[oberliner]

(Reuters) - Raunchy comedy sequel "The Hangover Part II" got off to a roaring start at the North American box office taking in about $31.7 million on its opening day, according to estimates by movie studio Warner Bros on Friday.

The strong early start on Thursday put the movie on track to gross about $110-$125 million domestically for its five day run over the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend, Hollywood box-office watchers said.

That's despite lukewarm reviews for the sequel, which reunites actors Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha in another mayhem-filled bachelor party.

Critics say "Hangover Part II" has a plot almost identical to that of the 2009 original, but switches the action from Las Vegas to Bangkok. "The Hangover" grossed $468 million worldwide, making it the most successful R-rated comedy of all time.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/27/us-hangover-idUSTRE74Q5LF20110527

Does anyone think this speaks to any problems with our society?

[Beaverhausen]

1. People need a good laugh these days

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

[elocs]

9. I could use a good laugh, but not a cheap laugh. I don't see anything funny about those movies.

I wouldn't even waste my time watching them on Netflix streaming for next to nothing.

[Beaverhausen]

12. thanks for sharing

:hi:

[Logical]

18. Then you have no sense of humor. n-t

[Tunkamerica]

20. I thought the original movie was hilarious and I hate dumb comedies.

[Forkboy]

25. How can you judge a movie without at least seeing a portion of it?

I haven't even seen the first one yet and don't know if I'll like it or not. Most mainstream comedies do little for me, but I'd still check it our before judging it. I listen to a ton of music, but how would I ever find anything new if I never took a chance on something because I had judged it without listening to it. Same with movies. I don't get that approach at all. Nothing wrong with judging afterwards, but it seems silly to do so beforehand. There's been plenty of movies I expected to suck that turned out pretty good (and there's been some I hoped would be awesome that ended up sucking lol).

[DainBramaged]

2. And millions of children will go to bed hungry tonight, and probably tomorrow night as well

[Warren DeMontague]

5. I hold Zach Gallifinakis personally responsible for that, too.

what a dick.

[Logical]

6. What do you suggest? No movies? No sporting events? Give it a rest! n-t

[qazplm]

19. I just bought a video game

thus I am DIRECTLY responsible for several kids going to be tonight, I'm such an asshole.

I do wonder if you've ever bought one thing for pure self-entertainment reasons, and why you didn't use that money instead to feed a child.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. "problems with our society"? No. I mean, the days of highbrow cinema like "Caddyshack" may be gone..

but, still. The first Hangover was funny as hell. Zach Gallifinakis is funny as hell. I'll probably netflix the sequel, but I'll for sure watch it.

[oberliner]

4. Yeah - maybe not

I am just surprised that movies like this do so well.

It's supposed to be much less funny than the original.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. Did you see the original?

I think the prevalence of sequels points to a problem with Hollywood; specifically studios deciding what to put out purely on the basis of boardroom decisions and powerpoint slides.

But anyone who's been paying attention knows that the truly interesting writing and narrative boundary-pushing has been taking place on tv and not in movie theaters, for the last 5-10 years or so.

[oberliner]

13. Yeah

Wasn't really crazy about it - though I thought it had some funny moments.

What are some narrative boundary-pushing tv shows that you'd recommend?

[Warren DeMontague]

17. I've been real partial to some of the AMC stuff: Mad Men, Breaking Bad

I thought the Battlestar Galactica reboot was great television, too.

Certainly there was plenty to criticize about Lost but it did prove that you could spin a long yarn with multiple, convoluted threads over the course of several years, even if it did turn out to be a bit of a shaggy dog. You can't say it wasn't ambitious.

We've got HBO, my wife really likes True Blood but I'm mixed on it. Been enjoying Game of Thrones so far.

[TimLighter]

8. They shoot horses don't they?

n/t

[fascisthunter]

10. well, the first one made me laugh

a lot! And I don't think I am part of a problem.

[sudopod]

11. :3

"And there was a time in this country, a long time ago, when reading wasn't just for fags and neither was writing. People wrote books and movies, movies that had stories so you cared whose ass it was and why it was farting, and I believe that time can come again!" --Idiocracy

[mmonk]

14. Hanging Around With Zach Galifianakis

http://www.ncsu.edu/features/2010/11/hanging-around-with-zach-galifianakis/

[TlalocW]

15. I'm currently on my mid-20s niece's shitlist

Because I didn't agree with her that the original Hangover movie was the funniest movie ever, listing movies from every decade since the 30s that I found funnier. :)

TlalocW

[ejpoeta]

16. this movie fits a certain type of humor. i myself didn't find it that funny.

my husband loved it. he's a guy. i don't know. i loved 'office space'. thought that was hilarious. loved 'dazed and confused'. funny as hell! lots of movies i laugh at. lots of movies that are supposed to be funny that i don't find so funny. it's just a matter of taste i guess. comedy is like that. people have things they like and things they don't.

[Iggo]

21. I didn't like it either.

But by the time got around to seeing it, it had already been dubbed the funniest thing ever in the history of funny things...and it just wasn't.

No interest in the sequel. (Okay, some interest, as I'm obviously replying here...heh.)

[Catherine Vincent]

22. Some of my family members look at me weird when I told them

that I had never heard of this movie. So on Sunday, we all watched the second one (bootleg) on DVD. It was funny at some parts but I didn't finish it though. They told me it was for the younger generation like 20somethings. I told them that those guys don't look like they're in their 20s to me. I put it in the category of Dumb and Dumber. Not my cup of tea but apparently plenty of people love this movie. To each his own. :)

[mackerel]

23. Am I missing something? I laughed and laughed at the first

one and Ima chick.

[ZombieHorde]

24. To me, Zach Gallifinakis will always be the Snuggler. nt

[brettdale]

26. anything

Wioth ed helms in it has to be good.

The Nard dog for president!

[mackerel]

27. LOL

A friend of mine has seen it and he says Ed Helms has a couple of excellent freak out scenes.