Susan Granger’s review of “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” (Universal Pictures)
This comedy sequel tackles the provocative question of whether sororities still lack the basic American freedom to party that Greek fraternities have enjoyed for decades.
“In the United States, sororities are not allowed to throw parties in their own houses,” lectures Phi Lambda’s president (Selena Gomez), “Only frats can.”
When pot-smoking freshman pledge Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz) hears this, she decides to start her own independent sorority, Kappa Nu, recruiting a rebellious gang of renegade misfits, including Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein).
Perplexed by the dilemma of paying $5,000 in rent, she consults dim-witted, former beefcake fratboy Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron), who is having his own “quarter-life crisis” since his Abercrombie & Fitch employers expect him to wear a shirt, concealing his chiseled abs.
Problem is: the rented Kappa Nu mansion is located next-door to Mac (Seth Rogen) and pregnant-again Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) who desperately want to move away. The Radner home is currently in escrow, so the new owners have 30 days to make random inspections and back out of any reason.
Although the quiet-loving Radners politely ask the Greek girls to quell the partying for a month, it’s impossible to curb their enthusiastic pranks. So, eventually, Mac and Kelly have to discard diplomacy and call in Sanders to help them drive the sorority sisters out.
Scripted by Andrew J. Cohen, Brandan O’Brien, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and director Nicholas Stoller, it’s a raw, raunchy re-tread. Predictably, the gross-out gags, ribald humor and action pieces don’t work as well as in its 2014 predecessor.
“When we started researching how sororities work, we were shocked at how sexist the system was,” Goldberg said. As Canadians, he and Rogen assumed sororities gave parties just like the frats did. That’s when they discovered that the National Panhellenic Conference prohibits drinking in its 26 member sororities. No alcohol means no parties, unless they’re co-hosted with fraternities.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” is a feminist 5, reflecting a frustrating, gender-based double standard.
