Sequels are a strange beast when it comes to comedies. Most of the time, in a comedy especially, the story is completely told with nothing else left to say. However, the sequel comes when particularly hilarious characters can go on equally, if not better, comedic adventures. There have been some very good sequels to comedies (22 Jump Street, Clerks II, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone 2, Bad Boys 2) and there have been some very BAD sequels to comedies (The Hangover II, Evan Almighty, The Whole Ten Yards, Little Fockers, Son of the Mask). Most of the time when a sequel is bad, it's because the writers don't try to put our established comedic characters in new and wacky situations... they put them into the same exact situation in a different location... or, it's a quick cash grab with a new cast, but the same title just to draw in a crowd with very lazy writing. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising hits that middle ground between new adventure and same old story that winds up making a movie that generates a lot of laughter, with a lot of the same material being recycled. However, unlike The Hangover II, and more like Home Alone 2, the movie often succeeds more than it fails.
Neighbors 2 begins essentially where the first one left off-- Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) have sold their home which was once next door to a fraternity headed by Teddy (Zac Efron). Their home is now in escrow and they have thirty days to make sure everything involved with selling the house goes down without a hitch. Enter Shelby (Chloe Grace Mortiz), an 18-year-old freshman just entering college and wanting to join a sisterhood. Due to her father's strict ways in high school, she didn't get the luxury of friends-- the aspect of college she craves the most. When she learns that it's law in the United States that sororities are not allowed to throw parties at their own houses (just frats-- and frat parties are essentially just date-rape dungeons), she and a couple of new allies decide to rent a home to start their own sorority-- one that doesn't cater to a one-sided gender standard. The house, unfortunately, just happens to be next door to Mac and Kelly in the middle of escrow. After trying to reason with the girls about no parties for thirty days and getting nowhere, it's all out war again.
Like I said, it's a lot of the same going on from the first movie, but as much as we enjoyed the characters from the original, they're back in funny fashion once more. Watching Teddy team up with the 'adults', now that he is one, is actually a pretty funny move. The one thing that Neighbors 2 does that really impresses is it deals with some actual issues this time, instead of just showing the hilarity in the differences between college kids and thirty-somethings. The movie pretty accurately tackles gender stereotypes and roles in our society and what has been acceptable forever, is actually pretty messed up. It also accurately portrays fraternities as what they really are-- a bunch of future date-rapists, who aren't able to let the "glory days" of high school behind, and who view all women as property, rather than people. This sounds a lot deeper than it actually is in the movie. It does have something to say socially, but does so in a comedic fashion. This is, to me, the best way to use humor. Sometimes we just want someone to slip on a banana peel or get hit in the nuts so we can laugh our asses off and forget about reality for a couple of hours. But, the other beauty of comedy is being able to take the bad and the darkness of the world and show how fucked up it is by using comedy as a means to a message. Neighbors 2 doesn't entirely get it right, but it's a valiant effort, and that's what counts.
There are some decent (even organic) character development within the film as well. Mac and Kelly are still worried about being parents, especially now that Kelly is pregnant once more, but now they're more worried about being good parents. They want to be able to raise their daughters right, without screwing them up, in a world that only seems to push women down. Teddy, who we last saw as an Ambercrombie and Fitch live-store-mannequin, still works in store with a bunch of high schoolers. He's never really been able to grow up and has a constant want to be needed by someone. All of his friends have careers and loves and have done that thing all college grads fear-- start actual life. It's a nice character motivation for him. He doesn't side with Mac and Kelly because they're besties now, but because they genuinely need his help, and that's all that matters to him.
The movie has some very funny moments and a few swing-and-misses. But, overall, as far as a comedy sequel goes-- you know exactly what you're in for. If your expectations are to see a film that's as good as it's predecessor, it will not exceed expectations, but it will also not lower them either.
B-
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