Like most comedy sequels, Neighbors 2 is very reminiscent of its predecessor. The clash between the Radnor's (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne), who now have a second baby on the way and are trying to sell their house and the loud, hard-partying college students living next door (led by Kick-Ass' Chloe Grace Moretz, Dope's Kiersey Clemons and newcomer Beanie Feldstein, who is the younger sister of Jonah Hill) is the film's primary source of comedy. The generational clash humor and onslaught of increasingly malicious and over-the-top pranks they pull on each other to gain the advantage in their battle for neighborhood power remarkably still works here. While it's clear that the humor is being mined from the same place as the original, the jokes rarely ever feel lazy or forced.
The feeling of successful familiarity that drives Neighbors 2 carries over to the cast as the deeply talented acting ensemble once again plays a pivotal role in making this material work so well. The newcomers and returning cast all deliver quality performances with ample standout moments and one-liners, but this film still undeniably belongs to Zac Efron. Despite the fact that he's relegated to a supporting role this time around, Efron manages to steal every single scene he's in thanks to his combination of outstanding timing and ability to perfectly skewer the "pretty boy" stereotype that's been attached to him since his High School Musical days. In addition to being absolutely hilarious, Efron adding some legitimate emotional depth to the dumb yet lovable recent college graduate Teddy Sanders by capturing the hopelessness he feels as he watches his former fraternity brothers enjoy successful careers and relationships while he continues to try to get his life together. Neighbors 2 further proves Efron's unlikely ascent to the top of the comedic actor food chain is completely justified.
The only really noticeable difference between Neighbors 2 and the original-aside from the obvious swamping out of a fraternity for a sorority-comes in the film's overarching messages. In between all of the gags about sex toys and drugs, the film makes some strong and insightful statements about how women are viewed in modern society and the ridiculous restrictions colleges put on sororities that don't apply to fraternities. It was pretty refreshing and surprising to see an over-the-top vulgar comedy have a pro woman's right message and treat all of its female characters with dignity and respect. Writer/director Nicholas Stoller and the army of other screenwriters deserve a ton of credit for making a film that addresses how poorly women are treated on college campuses without ever coming off as preachy or toning down the raunchy humor. Neighbors 2 is a slight downgrade from the original, but it's still a very funny movie that gets this summer's extensive R-rated comedy slate off to a rock-solid start.
4/5 Stars
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