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    Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    Ultimately, I like “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” and recommend it. I am also torn with some aspects of it. There are times where it’s just a dumb comedy, what I would expect out of a sequel to the 2014 film. Then, once in a while, it’ll bring in some really smart, kinda, sorta thought-provoking bits that are so much better than the rest of the film they feel out of place. Let’s just dive into the review so I can explain.

    Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) are expecting another baby and have decided to move out of their home and into a larger one. They’ve sold the place and it’s a done deal… as long as the new party-driven sorority, Kappa Nu can keep quiet for the next 30 days. When Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron) returns to his frat house, irresponsible behavior, party time comfort zone after a heartbreak, it means both opportunity and trouble for Kappa Nu and the Radners.

    Does it make any sense if I say that “Neighbors 2” is a film that’s “worse” because it isn’t better? I guess a better explanation is to say that it isn’t consistent. There are refreshingly modern points made throughout this comedy. Kappa Nu is so obsessed with throwing wild ruckuses and making a scene. Not for the same reason Delta Psi. They want to party to combat sexism. With the evidence presented here, I can’t argue with their reasoning. The fraternity events we see (and saw in the previous film) were about getting a bunch of hot girls in skimpy outfits and seeing which one you could bring to your bed once you were done objectifying them. Kappa Nus want to party on their own terms and show they can be just as much fun (which means being just as loud, irresponsible and disruptive) as the guys. It just happens to interfere with the Radner’s plans to sell their home because as it turns out, these freshmen girls might be even worse than Teddy and his buddies were. Other ideas, such as people experimenting with their sexuality, being gay, feeling threatened on campus are treated in a manner that’s very casual, the opposite of how they would have been seen even 10 years ago in an R-Rated comedy.

    One of the major elements that I enjoyed with “Sorority Rising” is this female get-together angle. Sure it’s nice that it’s “on the right side of the issue” with its parties about lady role models, calling out sexism and celebrating positive values, but that only goes so far. This film might be involuntarily relevant right now in the wake of Brock Turner’s ridiculously lenient sentence after being caught raping a 22-year old woman after a Stanford University college party, but that’s a heavy subject for another day. What got me excited is the three fun-seeking Kappa Nu leads are all women. With Chloë Grace Moretz, Kiersey Clemons and Beanie Feldstein on-screen, it means new kinds of jokes. The film is at it’s best when it centers around the fact that these are young cell phone savvy women who look at Zack Efron and start to drool but are also angry enough at those who would deny them their right to make fools of themselves to bombard them with used tampons (bold statement, or just pure grossness? I don’t know, but I have to give it points for originality) Plus, did you see that joke in the trailer about them disrupting their neighbors by flaunting around in their bikinis? That’s funny stuff.

    This film could have been better than the first, with its fresh angle on the “Animal House” thing, but it isn’t. There are plenty of funny moments throughout, but other times it’s plagued with bad jokes. I thought we were done with the gag where male genitals accidentally get shown on-screen. Moments where the Kappa’s outlandish behavior and love of drugs, along with some pop culture elements also got on my nerve. It becomes a little hard to like them when they’re being that disruptive without being hilarious. We even get a bad birthing scene for comedic effect. Gags like those wouldn’t be enough to bring a film down that much, but there are some truly ridiculous developments throughout this plot as well. An excuse for why the Radners can’t call the police after being victims of a crime courtesy of KN is nothing short of idiotic. Some scenes feel like they’re either missing (like a party for when one of the sorority girls finally loses her virginity) or are thrown in, have no bearing on the plot and then disappear (Hannibal Buress’ scenes are a good example)

    “Neighbors 2” may not be as good as the first, but it’s more memorable than its predecessor in many ways. Everything good about that first story is essentially here, but there’s also elements we haven’t really ever seen in a comedy present too. If only some of the writing and gags could have been tightened up a bit. I think it’s part of a trend of films we’re likely to get a lot more of in the years to come and for that alone, I’d recommend you catch the film, but I think if you liked the first, there’s plenty for you in “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” as well. (theatrical version on the big screen, June 15, 2016)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  18.6.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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