by Jon Partridge
Two years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by Neighbors, a juvenile comedy that mined the themes of bro-dom and parenthood well as it threw the two groups against each other as a fraternity took over a suburban house. The film also further cemented the comedic abilities of Zac Efron. Neighbors 2 takes the obvious route for a sequel, switch out the fraternity next door for a sorority. Two parents up against a horde of girls crafts an different dynamic and while some of the laughs feel familiar, the filmmakers actually manage to layer in plenty of social commentary about female empowerment.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising Synopsis
Now that Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they’d reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a hard–partying, out-of-control sorority, led by Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz). Mac and Kelly are forced to team up with their charismatic ex-neighbor and now secret weapon, Teddy (Zac Efron), since the ladies of Kappa Nu aren’t going down without a fight. It’s parenthood vs. sisterhood when the new neighbors assert their right to party just as hard as the boys.
As touched on already, the film feels very much like a retread of the first. Mac and Kelly are about to become parents for the second time, they are all set to move and selling their house depends on the new buyers not backing out in the next 30 days. Perfect timing for a new sorority to set up shop next door. Escalating hi-jinks occur as the two sides clash, one trying to protect their future, the other their ability to enjoy their college years and new found freedom from their parents and the confines of traditional sororities.
The latter part is perhaps most significant. When Shelby realizes how restrictive and discriminatory sorority life is, notably in comparison to the freedom and frivolity of a fraternity, she unites a group of girls to create a more progressive Sorority, one that allows them to play by their own rules and not be beholden to the expectations of men. Where Neighbors embraced juvenile misogyny in the name of raucous comedy, the sequel actually castigates it in the name of female empowerment… and comedy. It’s a weird blend of bawdy humor and progressive themes and it actually works really well.
What reinforces the plight of the girls is the efforts of Mac and Kelly to raise a daughter and ensure she has the same opportunities as men, their personal needs are often at odds with what they want for their daughter. There are moments they are rooting for the girls to succeed while still sabotaging their schemes. It’s an unexpected level of complexity in a film of this type and in touch with its progressive themes.
Byrne and Rogen continue to imbue these characters with a natural depiction of a modern parenting unit, adorably clueless, lovable fuckups bumbling their way through the early years of marriage and parenthood. Zac Efron’s Teddy is having his own issues with his friends growing up while he still seeks to recapture his glory days. The girls initially offering his a position as mentor within the sorority giving him a chance to do just that, while later in the film he joins with Mac and Kelly to take down the monster he helped create. It’s an arc about responsibility and growth for Teddy then, one that Efron milks to great comedic effect. His character verges on parody but again, is so genuine and touching you can’t help but be engaged by him. With this and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates earlier this year, Efron is really flexing his comedic muscles. Oh, and he shows off his actual muscles here plenty too. Chloe Grace Moretz takes on the role of Shelby with a determined gusto, she’s kinda bratty as you’d expect, but she is correct in her stance, championing girls rights. Sadly, the rest of the sorority girls are a little underdeveloped. Disappointing considering the films focus on equality.
THE PACKAGE
Image quality is crisp. Colors are vibrant, blacks are deep, overall palette looks natural. No defects apparent. The release is a combo pack including Blu-ray, DVD and digital versions of the film.
As seems traditional with comedies, the Blu-ray release is better stuffed than most other genres. Gag Reel is self-explanatory as is Deleted Scenes, the latter clocking in at an impressive 24 minutes. Some funny parts but for keeping the film paced tightly, you can see why they were excised. Line-O-Rama is a short featurette looking at the improv of several scenes, with different lines being reeled off.
Three featurettes; Nu Neighbors, Girls Rule and The Prodigal Bros Return, all mix footage with interviews to recap the ideas behind the sequel, introduce the new female cast members and revisit the old frat boys from the first film respectively. The Ultimate Tailgate is a closer look at one of the bigger sequences in the film involving a marijuana heist at a ball game. The most notable extra is a commentary with writer/director Nicholas Stoller and producer James Weaver which is pretty entertaining and interesting, mostly touching on how they approached making a comedy sequel.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Neighbors 2 undeniably feels like a retread of the first, in terms of situational and physical comedy. But the cast, notably Zac Efron, bring things to life. The presence of surprising, yet welcome, feminist undertones add smart commentary to an entertaining sequel. A Blu-ray stuffed with extras further enhances the appeal of the release.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is available on Digital HD from September 6th and Blu-ray/DVD from September 20th from Universal Home Entertainment
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Neighbors 2 — [Blu-ray] | [DVD] | [Instant]