‘THE HANGOVER PART II’

★★★ (out of four)

I went into “The Hangover Part II” with the understanding that I would be witnessing a cynical act of studio-sanctioned pandering, and that’s exactly what I got. Yet, since I was going in with lowered expectations, I was able to let my guard down and appreciate this crass cash-grab on its own limited terms. And, lo and behold, I had a good time. I suppose the importance of creativity is diminished when one is faced with the prospect of a drug-dealing capuchin monkey riding a motorcycle. Or a heterosexual man being seduced by a Thai lady-boy, or any number of the other lewd gags the film lays out with record speed.

‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES’

★★★ (out of four)

You see, against all odds and despite what you may have heard from basically everybody you’ve ever met, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is not a bad film. It is not aggressively stupid, as some have charged, nor is it woefully boring. Its horridness will not inspire you to burn effigies, and it is not among the worst films you will see this year. In fact, in many respects, it is indistinguishable from the rest of the movies in the series.

But that’s the problem. Uninspired, inert and listless on every conceivable level, “On Stranger Tides” is perfectly content to simply exist alongside its predecessors without setting itself apart in any meaningful way. The result is a summer spectacle without the spectacle. With nothing even remotely new or interesting to offer audiences, the film just sits there, waiting for you to be impressed simply by virtue of the fact that you are watching a “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie.

‘BRIDESMAIDS’

★★★

In some ways, “Bridesmaids” is a breath of fresh air for audiences who tire of the same old “chick flick” formula. Styling itself after the gross-out/heartwarming comedies of filmmakers like Judd Apatow and Todd Phillips, the movie attempts to tackle female subjects with the crudeness and irreverence typically reserved for the boys. The result is a raunch-fest that wears its heart on its sleeve, and if you’re keeping track by counting laughs per minute, “Bridesmaids” easily stands up to the best gross-out comedies of the past few years.