10 Movie Sequels That Were Basically The Same Movie
5. The Hangover Part II
The Hangover's irresistible premise revolves around three friends - Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Alan (Zack Galifianakis) - who wake up after a wild bachelor party in Las Vegas, only to discover that the groom, Doug (Justin Bartha), has gone missing.
All manner of shenanigans ensues as the trio try to retrace their bleary steps and find Doug before his wedding.
The Hangover Part II basically repeats the very same premise, albeit with Stu being the new imperiled groom, and the setting shifting to Thailand. Our central characters regularly express disbelief that the same thing happened to them twice, but it hardly papers over just how blatantly Part II is lazily milking the cash cow for every last drop. And in fairness to all involved, it still grossed almost $600 million worldwide.
At least filmmaker Todd Phillips couldn't be accused of just rehashing the idea once again for The Hangover Part III, which divisively pivoted into black comedy-thriller territory without any sign of a bachelor party whatsoever.