youtube.com/watch?v=snlWDffZfyk
Safe to say this is the most anticipated R-rated film this summer for most people. Personally I liked the first one, but comedy sequels have a much smaller hit:miss ratio than most sequels, so I’m remaining cautious here.
Even though it more or less looks like the same story from the trailer in a new location, I believe there are some subtle hints at different plot elements that perhaps it’s better not to spoil.
Many of my friends who were fans of the first one are really excited about this one.
Even though this is the EXACT SAME STORY as the first movie, I’m really excited for it! I plan to see it the night it comes out.
“What is this, a PF Changs?”
I just watched this week’s edition of ‘Margaret & David At The Movies’ (Australia’s answer to Ebert and Roeper). Predictably, the highbrow-cinema duo both gave this dismal ratings (Margaret - 2 stars, David - 1 1/2 stars). Here is the review transcript from the official site; of interest to Pixar fans here is their reference to a certain sequel from last year…
I didn’t capitalise the title, by the way, I only bolded it to highlight.
It seems that neither of them have realised that the themes in Toy Story 3 is essentially a rehash of the first two movies (change, rejection, fear of abandonment, trust issues, etc.). 
And while it does portray Bangkok in a pretty horrible light, at least there were some good bits like the monk monastery or the cruises down Mekong River, so it’s not all bad. If anything, I think it’s a fantastic ‘city movie’ like Fast Five, Rio, and Ratatouille which show both the good and bad parts of their iconic settings. 
Besides, I, myself, have been to Bangkok, and, I admit, even watched a transexual cabaret stageshow! My mum thought it would be a ‘good experience’ to expose us to the more interesting parts of Bangkok’s nightlife, though she warned us not to let the ‘showgirls’ touch us. It was an eye-opening experience; some of the ‘girls’ there look prettier than most of the real ones, and you can’t tell until they speak! And yes, the waters of Mekong is really that muddy, and dirty. Yes, the streets are really that crazy packed. Yes, I went to a monastery there (in the middle of the city) and that’s how they look, very tranquil and peaceful (although in my case, with a lot less greenery).
My theatre-mate also told me that he’s been to Bangkok many times (since his dad is a businessman) and he claims that he knows the alley where the boys burnt down the nightclub and says it’s exactly like that: dirty, crowded, smoky, etc. And you have to give props to Todd Phillips for being brave enough to use a cinema veritie style instead of glossing over the unpleasant aspects. This is Bangkok, warts and all.
I haven’t watched the first movie, so I can’t comment on the plot similarities, but I think M&D could have used a better example of a sequel that presented themes different from its predecessors than Toy Story 3. Besides, it’s not so much the originality of the story, but the execution, as I have reiterated many times before (and I know some members like aerostarmonk may agree with me here).
Besides, I think they’re pretentious half the time with their reviews (Mainstream is bad, indy is good), but I still like to watch them just to get a gauge of what to expect for movies in release.
Really? I want to go to one of those shows for kicks! I watched an episode of Taboo on Nat Geo about beauty in other cultures, and they discussed transexual cabaret shows in Asia. It was informing, I’d like to see one for the heck of it.
And go and see the first movie. It is hilarious, quotable, and fun. And 10x better than the sequel.
I remember it was no different from a dinner-and-dance show (except a little seedier, it wasn’t exactly top of the class). Some of the ‘ladies’ sit next to the viewers and caress them, but I think it was pretty tame. I was so scared they would ‘disturb’ us (and this is regardless of their sexuality, as a twelve-year-old, I would be terrified of a bona-fide female as well!), but thankfully they either didn’t notice us in the crowd, or they chose not to approach us.
I certainly will, I remembered it was all the rage two years ago but I failed to see what was so great about it. This sequel changed my mind for sure!
Dude, I heard this movie was funny. I’m probably going to see this with a bunch of my friends.
Glad to hear! In my opinion, the first movie is even better.
Due to The Hangover’s Box Office Success and large fandom, a third movie is in the works, and will (supposibly) be the finale.