Rating of
3/4
Surprisingly Funny Followup
Unknown - wrote on 05/24/16
'Neighbors 2' is in that rare league of comedy sequels which are actually worthy of their predecessor. The first ‘Neighbors’ was a fun, sketchy style comedy full of ridiculous gags that also managed to have some sweetness injected into it’s characters. The same can be said for ‘Sorority Rising’. I enjoyed both films about the same and even had the same amount of laughs. It’s loose goofy nature gives off the right amount of fun, while balancing out with a hint of charm. The returning characters see some progression and the new characters follow a different arc than in the previous story. This time the sorority next door plays their pranks on a different level - and for different reasons. There’s an underlying theme of gender in-equality in colleges that’s easy to pick up on while not overriding the film. It’s very much appreciated and also helps separate this one from the first ‘Neighbors’ despite the absolute massive similarity. There are no preachy scenes that derail the events just to make sure we got the message. It’s embedded in the jokes, which makes some of them really hit. There are enough differences (and laughs) to warrant this sequel's existence. I had a surprisingly fun time.
