The Hangover: Part II

They say if it ain't broke, don't fix it - and that certainly seems to have been the adage helmer Todd Phillips has stuck to as his sequel to the super-successful 2009 comedy hits the big screen.

The location may be different - this time they've traded the decadence of Vegas for the hustle and bustle of Bangkok - but the plotlines are staggeringly similar. There's a wedding in jeopardy as a member of the bridal party goes missing (though this time it's the bride's little brother, rather than the groom), there's another surprise guest in the guys' hotel room (this time an adorable monkey, as cute as the baby and more portable than the tiger), there are new strippers (this time with an extra twist) and plenty more amusing antics courtesy of the high-pitched Mr Chow. Hell, even Mike Tyson's back...

But if this is just more of the same, is that really such a terrible thing? The original Hangover was probably the funniest film of its year, and though it was always going to be tricky to try to top that, the sequel keeps the laughs coming... even if you can see them coming from two miles off.

The three leading men are all on fine form: Bradley Cooper oozes the coolness that has taken him to the top of the A-list since the first film, Ed Helms's everyman appeal could see him crowned the next Steve Carell, and Zach Galifianakis is a total comedy genius, even if he now runs the risk of being forever typecast. However, they're all eclipsed by the multi-talented monkey, especially in the scene when the simian seals a drug deal (now there's a sentence I haven't typed before).

If you enjoyed the first movie, you should find enough gags here to merit the price of a cinema ticket as the 'Wolfpack' cause chaos in Thailand (as Zach's character might say, monkeys and penises are funny in any language). The real question is whether there's enough life left in the concept for a rumoured third movie - or is this Hangover starting to wear off? Watch this space.