‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising' a progressive gross-out

For all the gross-out humor - graphic vomiting, tampon hurling and a cameo appearance by a scrotum - “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” is a surprisingly progressive film. You’ll still hear a frat guy say “bros before hos” in the movie, but at least this time someone corrects him.

“Don’t call them hos,” a character scolds. “That’s not cool anymore.”

The plot, however, remains largely unchanged from the first go-round. As in “Neighbors,” Mac and Kelly (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) are parents of a young daughter, although this time they have another girl on the way. They’re hardly Mom and Dad of the Year, what with 2-year-old Stella’s favorite plaything being a sex toy dressed like a princess. But they do their best, and they’re looking forward to moving into a larger, nicer home.

The only kink in their plan is selling their current house. The fraternity from the last movie has moved out of the house next door, and a family is interested in Mac and Kelly’s home. But the buyers will probably back out as soon as they discover the frat has been replaced by a lawless upstart sorority.

The renegade sisterhood is the creation of Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz), a perpetually high college freshman who’s horrified to find out that sororities aren’t allowed to throw parties. (Only frats can do that.) Shelby bucks the system by forming her own group house with buddies Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), plus a slew of other young women.

After they rent a house off campus, they vow to throw fun shindigs devoid of the bumping, grinding and “roofies” of a traditional frat bash. The costume party, for example, where guests dress up as feminist icons, promises plenty of alcohol and drugs - along with three Hillary Clintons.

Mac and Kelly try to reason with the girls, asking them to keep it down just until the buyers have closed on the house, but it’s no use. So begins yet another battle between neighbors, only this time the “olds” must enlist the aid of their onetime nemesis from the 2014 film, former Delta Psi president Teddy (Zac Efron), to help them.

The movie isn’t much to look at. The editing is ham-handed, and the direction by Nicholas Stoller is only passable. But the jokes are surprising timely, reminding viewers of the ways men and women are held to different standards.

In addition to that socially conscious twist, there’s also a gay marriage to plan: Teddy’s best friend Pete (Dave Franco) has come out of the closet since the last movie. Then there’s the black cop (Jerrod Carmichael), who wonders why he, of all people, would need a body camera: “It’s not like I’m going to shoot myself.”

In the end, the plot is the least interesting part of the movie. One-upmanship gets old fast, but evolved, of-the-moment comedy helps make a stale story fresh.