1342. Bad Neighbours 2 (2016)

Starring: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Chloë Grace Moretz

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Running Time: 92 mins

Bad Neighbours 2 is an American film and the sequel to Bad Neighbours. Just as Mac and Kelly are about to sell their house, they encounter a major obstacle as a hard-partying sorority moves in next door.

The last Bad Neighbours movie was a good laugh. Juvenile it may have been, but enjoyable nonetheless, and that’s exactly what you get the second time round. Despite a slow start and some awkward moments, Bad Neighbours 2 is a very entertaining, funny and silly watch, which, if you liked the first one, you’ll be perfectly satisfied with the sequel.

The best thing about this film is the way that it does emulate its predecessor. It may be very similar, but the fact that it retains its manic and juvenile vibe is what makes it as enjoyable as it is. Once again, we get a fight between an out-of-control group of teenagers and the homeowners next door, but with a combination of new and similar jokes, all of which are just as off-the-chain as you’d hope, there’s undoubtedly a lot to laugh at.

The other thing that I really enjoyed here was the performances. The first movie really proved how good a comedic actor Zac Efron is, and I’m delighted to say that he’s just as funny in the sequel. His character may not have as much to do, but when he gets the chance to really go mad, it’s hilarious to watch.

Alongside Efron, Seth Rogen is just as fun as always, Rose Byrne and Ike Barinholtz shine again, and Chloë Grace Moretz, in the newest starring role, is fantastic; possibly the funniest she’s been since Kick-Ass, which was great to see.

Bad Neighbours 2 was an undoubtedly enjoyable watch, full of laughs and manic parties that live up to the first film. However, there are times when it really doesn’t match up to its predecessor.

For instance, the first twenty minutes of this film are pretty poor. There aren’t many laughs, it’s edited like a mediocre YouTube sketch show, and it definitely doesn’t have the sense of mania that the rest of the film manages to retain from the first movie, which means that, although it did eventually turn out as a fun film, it starts very cagily, and doesn’t inspire confidence in the first act.

Finally, the film also tries to introduce a message into the plot in the end. Although the front of it is about sexism, what the film really tries to show is a very cheesy message about being who you should be, and not giving into what others want for any reason. It’s a nice message in theory, but in reality, it feels forced, cheesy, and very unfitting with the no-holds-barred juvenile comedy of the rest of the film.

Overall, Bad Neighbours 2 is a very entertaining film, with some great laughs and performances throughout. It has a few problems, and a few very awkward and unfunny moments, but it’s on the whole a solid follow-up to the hugely funny first film, and that’s why it gets a 7.4.