In the film, Phil (Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. With the memory of Doug’s nearly disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas still fresh—or at least well-documented—Stu is taking no chances. He has opted for a safe, subdued, pre-wedding trip brunch, with pancakes, coffee…and no alcohol. However, things don’t always go as planned.

Two nights before the big day, at a fabulous resort in Thailand, Stu relents. One beer each. In sealed bottles. What could go wrong?
“We knew we had to adhere to certain tenets of the first movie,” says Cooper, reprising the role of Phil, the de facto leader of the group. “We wanted aspects we loved from the first film to be in this one, but in a fresh, totally new context. Todd’s idea to set it in Bangkok upped the ante completely. We had a huge car chase, motorcycles, riots, shootings… There’s a lot of action in this movie.”

For the director, Cooper’s Phil is “the most grounded of the guys, which isn’t saying much,” Todd Phillips laughs. “He’s the most level-headed, which enables the other guys to go off the rails.”

Phil is, to say the least, disappointed in Stu’s “bachelor brunch” idea. “Phil is just a big talker,” allows Cooper. “He actually has quite a nice life at home, but he’s this alpha male who probably got married right out of high school and still wants to live those rare moments of cutting loose with his male friends.”

In Thailand, Phil hasn’t given up on some form of a bachelor party and proposes they have one nightcap before Stu ties the knot. Cooper expounds, “Phil wants to mark the occasion in some way and talks Stu into having at least one drink on the beach.”

And that is the last memory they have until they wake up the next morning.

The dynamic between Phil and the quirky Alan, played by Zach Galifianakis, that evolved in the first film is further explored in this one. “I think that’s my favorite part about this movie, because their relationship becomes really rich,” says Cooper. “In the first one, Zach and I improvised a lot of that, not always knowing if it would even play. But in this one, it’s built in already and we can take it even further. It’s like making a movie with your brothers. No one has to think too hard about the process; you just go with it. Our only real objective is that people will laugh their asses off.”

Opening across the Philippines on June 8, “The Hangover Part II” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Bradley Cooper Returns as Leader of the Pack in ‘The Hangover Part II’ originally appeared on Starmometer on May 29, 2011.

In “The Hangover,” the Las Vegas shenanigans of the Wolfpack – Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha — stayed in Vegas. This time, in “The Hangover Part II,” the gang travels to exotic Thailand for a bachelor party that’s supposed to be subdued and safe. However, things don’t always go as planned.

“The Hangover” was released in 2009 and took the world by storm—becoming the highest-grossing R-Rated comedy of all time and winning the Golden Globe for Best Picture-Musical or Comedy. Though the laughs were nonstop, it was not just the jokes that made it so appealing; it was a group of actors who were believable as friends and whose chemistry onscreen just clicked.

“It sounds corny, but it’s kind of a dream situation to work on a movie that’s a genuine comedy and going to work with people you like,” Galifianakis says. “It’s really, really cool.”

All involved were thrilled that the first movie connected with audiences around the globe. “I think physical comedy is pretty universal,” Galifianakis posits. “Also, you’re pulling for these guys. In spite of everything they go through, they’re really just trying to have a good time. That’s the common theme in these movies.”

“And, also, the hook of the movie is that it’s a kind of a whodunnit mystery,” Bradley Cooper adds. “So, there’s not just a bunch of comedy set pieces. It’s a movie that has a real engine. If you took all the comedy out, it could play as a thriller. It’s sort of hitting on those two marks.”

In “The Hangover Part II,” the characters follow the same trajectory as on their last adventure, but this time they’re in the exotic international city of Bangkok, Thailand. “[Director] Todd Phillips first became inspired by thinking of where they could go next,” says producer Dan Goldberg. “And every time you said Bangkok, for whatever reason, people would go, ‘Wow, that’s great.’ So, Todd and his co-writers, Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong, did a ton of research on the real Bangkok and a story started to take shape that was different but definitely in the spirit of the first film.”

“To me, location is one of the movie’s main characters,” Phillips attests. “Vegas was such a big part of the first one and, for this one, it was really about finding a city or a place where when you say the word it means something. Once we decided on Bangkok, that pretty much defined the movie. It just sounds like trouble, especially for our guys.”
“There’s also something to just being in a foreign country and feeling adrift and untethered and helpless in a place where you don’t speak the language,” says Helms. “You don’t understand the customs. You’re not familiar with the food. They’re fundamental things that are all of a sudden different and it throws everything off-kilter, even more than usual.”

“They’re kind of flying without a net and that allows for us to do more crazy things or put bigger obstacles in front of them and that’s really the point,” Phillips says.

“It’s a totally new story,” Cooper describes. “There are new characters, but also some characters that come back. What we all love about it is you’re getting the same flavor that you felt in the first one, but we’re all focused on telling a new story. To me, it feels like we’re all trying to solve the puzzle together.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “The Hangover Part II” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Bangkok has the Wolfpack Now in ‘The Hangover Part II’ originally appeared on Starmometer on May 4, 2011.

The hypothetical question is being asked in the Bradley Cooper-Robert DeNiro starrer “Limitless.”

It’s an upcoming sci-fi actiona thriller about an unpublished writer whose life is transformed by a top-secret smart drug that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life in this darkly comic and provocative film.

The film also stars Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel and Daniel Richards. Directed by Neil Burger, Limitless is coming to theaters in March 2011.

Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro are ‘Limitless’ originally appeared on Starmometer on December 21, 2010.

Plot: Crossword puzzle constructor Mary Horowitz (played by Bullock) is smart and pretty. Set up on a blind date with Steve (played by Cooper), a news cameraman, Mary thinks the chemistry is undeniable and just knows she has found her soulmate. She decides to do anything and go anywhere to be with him.[2]

Mary’s escalating infatuation is encouraged by the self-serving actions of news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church) who enjoys torturing his insolent cameraman at every opportunity. As the news team crisscrosses the country covering breaking news stories, Steve becomes increasingly unhinged as Mary trails them.

When the overzealous Mary becomes embroiled in the news story of the year, Steve and Hartman begin to see her differently. Hartman is plagued by guilt, knowing his game of one-upmanship with Steve has placed her squarely in harm’s way, while Steve is feeling his own pangs of remorse at his callous behavior. Despite the media storm surrounding her, Mary with her upbeat unaffected manner not only brings everyone together but finds her own oddball friends and discovers her true place in the world.

Also starring Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeon, Jonathan Chase, and DJ Qualls. Directed by Phill Trail.

All About Steve is now showing in Philippine cinemas.

Video Link: All About Steve – Movie Trailer

Sandra Bullock Paired with Bradley Cooper in ‘All About Steve’ originally appeared on Starmometer on November 4, 2009.

From the director of Pretty Woman comes a star-studded romantic movie featuring ten stories of different people on Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles, whichl are linked in some way.

Valentines Day is written by Abby Kohn and Mark Silverstein and directed by Gary Marshall for New Line Cinema (Warner Brothers).

A starry-starry Valentines Day begins on February 12, 2010.

VIDEO LINK: Valentines Day – HD Trailer

A Star-Studded Valentines Day originally appeared on Starmometer on September 23, 2009.

Plot: Crossword puzzle constructor Mary Horowitz (played by Bullock) is smart and pretty. Set up on a blind date with Steve (played by Cooper), a news cameraman, Mary thinks the chemistry is undeniable and just knows she has found her soulmate. She decides to do anything and go anywhere to be with him.[2]

Mary’s escalating infatuation is encouraged by the self-serving actions of news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church) who enjoys torturing his insolent cameraman at every opportunity. As the news team crisscrosses the country covering breaking news stories, Steve becomes increasingly unhinged as Mary trails them.

When the overzealous Mary becomes embroiled in the news story of the year, Steve and Hartman begin to see her differently. Hartman is plagued by guilt, knowing his game of one-upmanship with Steve has placed her squarely in harm’s way, while Steve is feeling his own pangs of remorse at his callous behavior. Despite the media storm surrounding her, Mary with her upbeat unaffected manner not only brings everyone together but finds her own oddball friends and discovers her true place in the world.

Also starring Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeon, Jonathan Chase, and DJ Qualls. Directed by Phill Trail.

Video Link: All About Steve – Movie Trailer

All About Steve – Movie Preview originally appeared on Starmometer on February 23, 2009.