Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising — Review
‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’ is the unnecessary but decent sequel to 2014’s comedy hit ‘Neighbors.’ In this film Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne attempt to move and sell their house; the one hitch being that the property next-door that previously housed Zac Efron’s fraternity has just become a sorority. And not just any sorority — this is the first one ever to throw parties, which, as you may know, the American Greek system forbids. These girls are led by the talented Chloë Grace Moretz, who benefits from having more screen time and slightly more character than you’d assume of a dumb comedy’s antagonist.
As for Mr. Efron, his character Teddy is now finding it difficult getting a good job what with the criminal record he earned in the first movie. And as if that isn’t bad enough, he gets kicked out of his living situation by his engaged best friend (Dave Franco), who we find turned out to be gay and came out to Teddy last. So Teddy finds himself back at his old place helping the girls run their sorority, until they kick him out for being too old and not supporting their more reckless methods of raising rent money. From there he goes full ‘Terminator 2’ on us, and switches sides to help our heroes for another round of the whole prank-and-inconvenience-your-neighbors-until they-move game.
There aren’t too many belly laughs to be found in ‘Neighbors 2,’ but it is filled with chuckles, and I liked the way it satirized the sexism of college Greek life. Also, unlike most R-rated comedies these days it’s rarely mean-spirited, and it has a good bit of fun playing around with the traditional homophobic, bros-before-hoes (“you can’t call them hoes, that’s not cool anymore,” Efron tells Franco in one scene) attitudes of frat-boy man-children. Like most of its main characters, ‘Neighbors 2’ is scrappy, doesn’t always quite have it together, and when all is said and done is pretty difficult not to like.
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