Review – Neighbors 2

Neighbors (2014) was a surprise smash hit.  I thought the film was solid, but the jokes towards the end got a little redundant.  But with great critical response and box office comes a sequel, so now we get Neighbors 2, an unnecessary movie, but one that keeps the laughs coming for the entire film.

When a hard partying sorority moves next door to Mac and Kelly Radner (Seth Rogen & Rose Byrne), the couple asks for help from their former frat enemy, Teddy (Zac Efron), so that they can sell their house.

My favorite part of Neighbors 2 is the consistent comedy.  Like I said above, the jokes in Neighbors got redundant the last half hour or so of the film.  In Neighbors 2, the comedy keeps coming until the very end.  This is, in large part, because of the terrific cast.  Rogen and Byrne are the best comedy parents since the Griswold’s.  Zac Efron might have a solid career in comedy, as his dimwitted Teddy is as sweet and funny as he is dumb and vain.  The new trio of Chloe Grace Moretz, Beanie Feldstein, and Kiersey Clemons add some much needed feminine comedic talent to a film that was filled with bros the first time around.  There are some gross out moments that will make you cringe in the right kind of way and some repeat jokes from the first one that hold up better than they should.

Something that Neighbors did and that Neighbors 2 does even better is have a lot of heart.  The movie does a great job of showing the struggles of being younger parents and the worry of a second child on the way.  This movie also shows the financial struggles of a college freshman and the not-so-glamorous life after college, two things I understand far too well.  These are all issues that people in some way can connect with, which elevates the movie from just humor to a well-rounded comedy.

The one part about the film that didn’t sit right with me was its badgering message.  There is a consistent theme in the movie of “Sororities can’t party, only Frats can.” and “Women can and should be able to do anything men can do.”  And while I full heartedly agree with this, the movie doesn’t have a full handle on the idea.  Their are times where it seems like they are mocking it and times where they are genuine and sincere about it.  It is also something that comes up in nearly every scene, which gets annoying to a point.

Neighbors 2 is a good time.  It’s sweet and funny with great comedic moments and performances.  The overbearing message gets redundant by the end, but that doesn’t take away from the laughs and heart, which makes it one of the better comedy sequels in recent years.

MY RATING – 3/4

Did you see Neighbors 2?  What did you think?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix or on Facebook at Kevflix.

And make sure to check out my list of the best comedy sequels of all-time by clicking right here.