Collective amnesia still funny

Duplicating the structure and the irreverent, lowbrow humor of the first “Hangover,” this sequel inspires gasps and guffaws despite having lost its element of surprise. Alan (Zack Galifianakis), Stu (Ed Helms) and Phil (Bradley Cooper) reunite for another wedding in “The Hangover Part II.” Of course, they end up forgetting crucial events prior to the occasion again, and must retrace their steps to figure out what went wrong during that one night in Bangkok.

Still a strange but synergistic grouping, the trio of Galifianakis, Helms, and Cooper manages to keep the silliness fresh. Like in the first film, however, the laughs are largely split between Galifianakis and Helms, with Cooper’s more “normal” character ending up as uninteresting and forgettable (again). Justin Bartha, like last time, is barely seen, but he’s not the missing person here and he doesn’t participate in the search.

Again, familiarity with the first film makes “The Hangover Part II” considerably less intriguing and charming, but its typically icky and lewd humor still tickles.

“The Hangover Part II” opens June 8 in Metro Manila.