Movie review: “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” (R)
There is good news and bad news regarding “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” the sequel to the 2014 sleeper hit (a film that I maintain is pretty overrated). First, the good news: “Sorority Rising” is that rare comedy sequel that is actually stronger the original. The bad news: It’s still a far cry from classic comical status.
In “Neighbors 2,” Mac and Kelly Radner (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) decide that since their family is growing, it’s time to move into a new home. But they’re stuck in escrow for 30 days, meaning that their potential buyers can back out of purchasing the house if they decide something doesn’t meet their liking in that 30-day time period.
Adding to an already complicated situation, the vacant home next door — the very home that served as an obnoxious fraternity party zone in the first picture — has now been acquired by an upstart sorority led by Shelby (a now-grown Chloe Grace Moretz who got her start as the beloved Hit Girl in the equally adult-oriented “Kick-Ass”) — a daddy’s girl looking to start a college sisterhood for the modern world. The problem is, Shelby is new to the sorority game and looking for advice. Ultimately, she and her small band of sisters enlist the aid of the Mac and Kelly’s old foe, Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron), in an effort to learn the ways of the sorority Force as it were. Now the game is on as the angry Radners and a very driven sorority sisterhood try to ruin each others’ lives in a myriad of outlandish (and juvenile) ways.
Obviously, the framework in both “Neighbors” films is virtually identical:a battle between a frat/sorority and their neighbors. But save for an over-the-top air bag gag, no one can really accuse “Sorority Rising” of recycling jokes from its predecessor (something that “The Hangover II” would know nothing about). Having said that, this film is guilty of recycling its own jokes to the point of beating them into the ground, including a controversial running gag involving a child and her mother’s sex toy.
Yes, in case you weren’t aware, “Neighbors 2” is irreverent in a big way. Funny enough, though, “Sorority Rising” doesn’t really feature sex or nudity, which is quite surprising given the sorority/frat angle. What this film lacks in skin (take note: there is a bikini car wash sequence) it more then makes up for in the dirty joke department, meaning there isn’t actual sex, but there are plenty of sex jokes. Beyond that, some of the gags in this picture are foul in a way I wasn’t fully prepared for. I won’t elaborate any further only to say that something very unpleasant is tossed at the Radner couple’s windows.
In the first picture, Rose Byrne stole the proceedings. Here, it’s the Zac Efron show. His dim-bulb, meathead Teddy is far more lovable and a lot less sociopathic than the first time around. After momentarily losing his best friend Pete (played, once again, by Dave Franco) to a serious relationship, Teddy feels lost, but he quickly finds himself again after finding solace in Shelby and the sisterhood. With them, he has a purpose, but that venture proves to be short-lived. After the sorority cuts Teddy lose, the ex-fratboy ultimately finds himself in a bromance with a most unexpected individual: Mac! Efron is oddly endearing in this picture, bringing clueless charm and likability to the table. Look no further than a scene in which Teddy blows Mac’s mind with an strangely sensible “boiling water” analogy.
Both “Neighbors” pictures were directed by Nicholas Stoller (the man behind the Jason Segel headlined gem “Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and while his “Sorority Rising” is a bit too loosey goosey and a little sloppy in terms of execution, this follow-up gets the slight edge over its predecessor in the funny department. It’s still an uneven mixture of laughs (Mac’s random and all-to-brief trip to Australia is nonsensical and stupid, even by silly comedy standards), but I certainly snickered more this time around. Included are a humorous scene in which Mac calls Shelby’s dad (played by the great Kelsey Grammer) in hopes that he’ll talk his daughter into moving and a “Revenge of the Nerds” inspired bit that gives an entirely new meaning to the term “potpie.”
Furthermore, Stoller and his screenwriting team inject a refreshingly progressive viewpoint into the proceedings. Themes of woman’s rights, gay marriage, and acceptance abound, but because these themes are sprinkled in the framework of a raunchy comedy, this never feels like an agenda movie. Of course, a lot of the stuff that works here is offset by this film’s blatant disregard for responsible parenting. I get that “Neighbors 2” is a slice of hyper-reality and that it’s simply attempting to have fun with the difficulty that comes with the adventure that is parenthood by way of subverting it. In the end, though, the way Mac and Kelly deal with their child (and child on the way) is uncomfortable, selfish, and unfunny. Yes, we all make mistakes as parents, but most parents would be well-advised to avoid the mistakes made by Mac and Kelly, hyper-real or not. At the very least, they should recognize them as mistakes and not make a mockery of them.
Again, though, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” is an irreverent comedy, so clearly it’s not meant to be taken seriously in any shape or form. Where comedies go, it’s a mixed bag. It’s that rare follow-up that’s a slight improvement over the first. On the one hand, this isn’t the type of movie I’ll find myself quoting a couple of months down the road (a true testament to the very best of any classic comedy), but I chuckled a handful of times. Translation: If you’re a fan of “Neighbors” or find yourself in the mood for an irreverent raunch-fest, “Sorority Rising” is probably worth a matinee ticket or a DVD rental.
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