DVD Review: Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation

Rude and crude raunch comedies like Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation are a dime a dozen these days. But back when its predecessor was released, this was just a fledgling subgenre that pretty much began with Porky’s and waned soon after the original Bachelor Party was released on home video.

Thanks to the original trio of American Pie films and their numerous late ‘90s/early 2000’s imitators, however, these types of movies have become hot commodity again. But that’s not really the problem here. You see, the original Bachelor Party has become something of a cult classic and this loose sequel (really more of a spin-off in theme only) has absolutely nothing to do with its predecessor. Neither Tom Hanks nor any of the previous film’s cast members return to star or cameo and, to some, that could either be considered a hasty (but forgivable) mistake or a damning flaw.

But other than cosmetic errors on the producers’ parts, Bachelor Party 2 really isn’t the same kind of film the original was. Granted, I haven’t seen the original in years, you really don’t have to. Just knowing the picture starred a considerably young Tom Hanks that melded the formula for what numerous leading teens/men would imitate in their sex-romp comedies years down the line makes for a fun watch.

But the original Bachelor Party was something special; a perfect product of its era that has also aged quite well. But because of that, this semi-sequel in no way reflects the naughty, innocent hilarity of the original. Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation, as funny as it thinks it is, really isn’t. Sure, there are some good knee-slappers interspersed throughout and at least lead cast members Josh Cooke (Ron), Harland Williams (Derek), Greg Pitts (Jason), Danny Jacobs (Seth), and Warren Christie (Todd) show a decent knack for timing (especially Williams and Pitts, who you will probably find the most memorable), but as a whole the film misses more than it hits.

And this unrated version, clocking in at 104 minutes, runs way too long. I can’t say any of the jokes ever overstayed their welcome (with the only exception being a terribly gratuitous and horribly unfunny “Stripper Fight” sequence that will probably only elicit a light chuckle from the most immature of viewers) but it certainly feels that way when director James Ryan just can’t get that good “comedy atmosphere” going. He takes things over the top quite often (or so he seems to think) by sprinkling in girl-on-girl action, all sorts of topless females, nude bikers, and even a homosexual male stripper, but where’s the sharp comedic material needed to make this stuff funny? There are moments throughout the film that feel so slapdash and out of left field that it stops playing like a raunch comedy and more like a rom-com. Confusing? I think so.

Article Author: Thomas Steenhagen

Thomas Steenhagen is an aspiring journalist and screenwriter residing in sunny Orlando, FL. He has been writing product reviews and worked on numerous screenplays over a vast number of years. You can check out more of his work at Epinions.com.

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