LOS ANGELES — “The Hangover” was one of the 2009’s most successful movies. The R-rated raunchy comedy also won a Golden Globe for best comedy and other awards that year. Since the news that “The Hangover Part II” would be made, the pressure has been high on its stars, Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms — and also its director, Todd Phillips — to equal the success of the original.
In this group interview, the gang chimed in when I asked about audience expectations for the sequel.
Ed Helms: There are going to be people that take issue with the movie and pick it apart and just hate it outright. Anytime you put a creative product out there, that’s going to happen. You open yourself up to that, but the effort in the making of this movie was massive … more than anything I’ve ever worked on. We all just put our heart and soul and lives into it.
Bradley Cooper: If there’s one thing I don’t think anyone could criticize is that we just picked up a check and walked through the movie. I can’t even imagine how anybody could even justify a criticism like that because we all gave it 110 percent, and you do see that. Whether you think it’s funny or not is different.
Zach Galifianakis: Unfortunately, it’s an American pastime to knock things down rather than putting them up. I just think it’s going to happen regardless.
Todd Phillips: For me, there was a lot more pressure making the first one and wondering, “Is anybody going to see this movie?” It’s very exciting to make a movie that you know people want to see, so it’s kind of the opposite of pressure. The fun thing about “The Hangover” is its unapologetic tone.
Q: Do you care what the critics say about a movie that you’re in?
Galifianakis: Not so much the critics, but it’s the people on the message boards that really mean a lot to me. When I go in HuffPo (huffingtonpost.com), you get reaction in a sort of “stand-up” way. It’s an instant sense if people are laughing or not laughing, so you have to have a thick skin.
Phillips: I put the onus on the audience, not critics. We’ll see how the movie does and what the feeling is. This is my seventh movie, and these “Hangover” movies have been my best experiences in making films. I could see doing another one if they were up for it.
More Top Picks Best Contoured Sleep Masks For Side Sleepers
Travel expenses paid for by WGN-TV and Warner Bros. Pictures. Watch my interviews 5 to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday on WGN-Ch. 9 Morning News. My radio show airs 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on News 720 WGN-AM and wgnradio.com. You can also go to wgntv.com/deanslist.