Seldom do sequels surpass the original version of any film. Where comedies are concerned, this is even more of a rarity. Bad Neighbours 2 bucks that trend by having more genuine laughs and succeeding in being a more pleasant cinema experience than the first go round.
The regular cast has returned with Seth Rogen as lovable big bear stoner Mac Radner, Rose Byrne, letting more of her Australian accent colour her performance as his wife and the buffed out Zac Efron as the boy with the Peter Pan complex. Efron is underrated as a comic actor and shows great timing and even sneaks in some real emotion. Joining the cast this time is Kick Ass Chloë Grace Moretz as the couple’s main adversary.
Having the Radner’s opponents this time around be sorority sisters gives the film the opportunity to make more insightful and funny feminist statements than the tired and cliché macho jokes that littered the original. The battles are also less extreme while being more consistently funny. The truly outrageous moments stand out more by being fewer in number.
The set ups are still outrageous and the character’s decisions are uniformly bad but the comic elements are solid and the experience leaves you more satisfied. There is a decent message amidst the laughs.
Rob Hudson
www.badneighbours2.com.au
