3/5
Currently sitting at 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and certified fresh, the first Neighbors (or Bad Neighbors for us in the UK) was very well received but when the sequel was announced it was widely lamented. The first filmed tied up the story nicely and seems to be done. It does kind of look like a cash in and maybe it was or maybe they had some fresh ideas with a compelling new story. So for whatever reason we are back with Seth Rogan and Rose Bryne as Mac and Kelly. This time their baby is a toddler and the second baby is on the way when a sorority moves in next door lead by Chloe Grace Moretz . It is such a blessing to this film that Seth and Rose return, they bring such good chemistry and majority of the laughs do come from them and their odd couple friends.
The jokes come in much of the same format as last time, a war between middle ages home owners and the parties next door, switching between expected, gross out and tied. Surprisingly most of the funny moments come from returning Zac Efron, who opitomises his character so well.
The direction is solid as expected in a film like this, besides one stand out chance sequence which is one of the best moments of the film, there is little to offer besides framing the comedy.
Where this film falls down is in comparison to the original is the Sorority girls. They do not get time to breathe, become rounded characters and for us to develop feelings towards them. They come across quite obnoxious and at time cringe.
This isn't as good as the original but it is funny and well worth a watch.
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