Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Starring:Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ike Barinholtz, Kiersey Clemons, Dave Franco, Jerrod Carmichael, Lisa Kudrow, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Selena Gomez, Hannibal Buress, Carla Gallo, Kelsey Grammer
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A husband (Seth Rogen) and wife (Rose Byrne) now have to deal with a sorority that moves in next door, creating challenges in selling their home.

Review:

Tim: I really enjoyed Neighbors- far more than I expected to like it. So, I was cautiously optimistic about this movie. Comedy sequels tend to be hard to pull off, but the basic idea here was sound- Family vs. Frat worked exceptionally well, so let's do Family vs. Sorority. It makes perfect sense, it's a way to continue the story while offering something different while still staying connected to the original idea. While I can't claim this movie is as good as the first one (it's definitely a step down in quality), the movie got surprisingly close. This is an effective comedy sequel and I had fun watching it.

The movie does lose some of the surprise and the newness that was present in the original. We didn't know what to expect, so it was all a pleasant surprise. Here, we know these characters and we know what to expect. That's not all bad, as we can get right into the film. There's a certain comfort with these characters and the situations they'll find themselves in. It was fun to check in with Mac and Kelly (on the down side, I had to look up their names because they aren't the most memorable characters). Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are both so good in these roles, it's just that their characters are a bit one-dimensional. I thought the most interesting character here was Teddy- that was unexpected. His character arc is a fascinating one and it became one of the highlights of the film. Zac Efron does a great job in the role and I loved watching this character evolve over the course of the film. That plot point was one of the strongest ones. It was nice to reconnect with some of the characters from the first film- it was great to see Dave Franco again, for example. I also liked the new characters. Chloe Grace Moretz is really the only one who stands out, but she was well cast. I've liked her since her "Hit Girl" days. While I can't say she crushed the role, she delivered a serviceable performance. Again, her character isn't the most memorable, but she was still enjoyable to watch. I was glad to see Ike Barinholtz back- he's so fun in that role.

This movie probably pushed the limits of our believability a bit too much. Some of that was certainly present in the original, but it felt like I really had to suspend disbelief here. It required a little too much of that, which hurts the movie some. I do believe this is an effectively funny comedy. It's not a landmark film by any stretch, but it made me laugh and entertained me throughout its 1 hour, 32 minute run time (being short is also a minor plus- the film feels lean and focused).

Ultimately, this is a bit too forgettable of a comedy, but it was still a fun movie to watch. It's certainly not as good as the original, but it does far better than most comedy sequels. At this point, I'm not sure a third movie would make any sense, but I was glad this sequel was made. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising continues the tradition of telling a funny, focused story. I had a good time watching this movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Neighbors, Knocked Up, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates