THE HANGOVER PART II (Rated R)

Director Todd Phillips’ followup to his blockbuster comedy film “The Hangover” is just about as good as it gets. For one thing, the successful formula remains the same in “The Hangover Part II.”

The setting has changed from the tawdry glitz of Las Vegas to the dingy back alleys of Bangkok. But the story of regular guys looking to have a good time remains the same.

As we well know, these regular guys have a knack for ending up in serious trouble after a hard night of debauchery, public drunkenness and other unspeakable acts.

The usual suspects travel to exotic Thailand for the wedding of their pal Stu (Ed Helms), the nerdy, excitable dentist, who is marrying the lovely Lauren (Jamie Chung) in her homeland.

Stu, you may recall, was previously married briefly to a hooker during their misadventures in Vegas. But this time, he has found true love and doesn’t want to mess it up.

The fact that Lauren’s father, a physician, strongly disapproves of this union is a source of great amusement. His toasts at the rehearsal dinner snidely disparage Stu’s career and equate his personality to that of soggy white rice.

Not wanting to lose any more teeth, Stu had proposed, before the overseas trip, a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch, with pancakes, coffee and no alcohol, at the local IHOP.

His pals, Phil (Bradley Cooper), the smooth talker, and Doug (Justin Bartha), the prospective groom during the ill-fated Vegas trip, want a real bachelor party.

Joining the Wolfpack for the trip to Thailand is Doug’s brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis), the foolish nitwit and walking man-child disaster who constantly wreaks havoc and offends with his tactless remarks.

As fate would have it, the four guys who ended up in so much trouble in Sin City are headed unexpectedly for more of the same in the sinful city of Bangkok.

Once at the beautiful beach resort in Thailand, Phil rekindles the idea of some form of a bachelor party, at least one that might avoid the problems that come from unwittingly ingesting roofies.

With the blessing of Stu’s future bride Lauren, the boys gather around a campfire on the beach for one drink from unsealed beer bottles, while bringing along Lauren’s younger brother Teddy (Mason Lee), a teenage prodigy and gifted pre-med student.

Next thing you know, Stu, Phil and Alan wake up in a stupor in a sleazy, dingy Bangkok hotel room. Teddy is missing, but apparently his finger, complete with a school ring, is found floating in an ice bucket.

What’s more, Stu has a raw, fresh tattoo on his face that resembles the one adorning Mike Tyson. Alan’s head is now shaved. A chain-smoking Capuchin monkey runs loose in the bathroom.

Just like the original “Hangover,” the dazed bachelor party celebrants must piece together clues of their night of revelry to not only find out what happened, but to locate the missing Teddy.

What comes next is an adventure through the seedy underbelly of Bangkok, including unsavory encounters with thugs, Russian mafia, a Buddhist monk and pole dancers of dubious sexuality.

The gangster Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) has also returned, losing none of his swagger as he goes up against crime lord Kingsley (Paul Giamatti), who in turn threatens the Wolfpack for the delivery of bank account numbers.

“The Hangover Part II” is rated R for its “pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images.”

By all accounts, the MPAA seems to have gone easy on a film that is filled with raunchiness and plenty of gratuitous sexual images and depraved humor.

But, hey, “The Hangover” is all about pushing the boundaries of good taste in pursuit of outrageous laughs. If you loved the original, you will feel the same about this one.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.