The Hangover won't cure diseases, or bolster world peace. It's not likely to make many "top" lists, when "serious" and the "meaningful" films are to be had, but so what? The Hangover is a comedy that sets out to entertain, offend, and periodically shock you. And that it does very well, in addition to being quite funny.
Forgive me if the Cap'n is late to the party. It is a well known fact that as much as I'd like to get out and see films during their actual release, I rarely do. To remedy this, I do attempt whenever possible to watch them on the fancy tv with the fancy picture and sound hookups. I even leave my phone on for that "authentic" movie theatre atmosphere. Normally speaking, it makes up for not seeing it with others in a darkened auditorium*, but I do feel I cheated myself out by not seeing The Hangover with others.
If anyone at this point doesn't already know the plot of The Hangover, I will detail it in brief: Doug (Justin Bartha) is getting married, but before he does so his friends are taking him to Vegas for a blow out bachelor party. The friends in question are school teacher Phil (Bradley Cooper), dentist Stu (Ed Helms) and soon-to-be brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis). Rather than seeing the bachelor party, the audience is introduced to the aftermath, as the very hung over and completely confused Stu, Phil, and Alan try to retrace their party trajectory. See, they lost Doug, and he's getting married very soon.
Along the way, they run into escort / stripper Jade (Heather Graham), who Stu married at some point, a very naked Ken Jeong, another Doug (Mike Epps), and Mike Tyson. What any of these people may have to do with a stolen police car, a tiger, a baby, and roofies is up for you to figure out. Also, Stu seems to be missing a tooth. These, and other debaucheries come to light over the 108 minute unrated cut of The Hangover.
Early reviews indicated that the film was lacking on consistent laughs - a point I disagree with - but compensated for very big gags strategically placed throughout the film. While most of the reveals as to how or why such strange things happened during the bachelor party are the source of the biggest laughs, I'm going to side with a more consistent comic approach to the film, largely from character moments. Director Todd Phillips (Old School) hit the jackpot with the combination of Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis. You could not put three more different people together, but they have a chemistry that sells the rampant absurdity of the story.
Cooper manages to make Phil, a complete asshole who starts the film stealing money from field trip funds, a reasonably likable dude by the end of the film. Ed Helms begins The Hangover as a henpecked loser dominated by Melissa (Rachael Harris), and grows out of that "type" in a believable way. You can actually buy his final scene with Heather Graham as something that could happen between those characters.
Galifianakis runs away with the movie, partially because Alan is a walking non sequitur. Half of what Alan says doesn't make sense, and the way he makes connections or expresses whatever dementia going on inside that brain carries the humor past big joke set pieces. I was personally fond of the way that the film addresses some of his off hand comments but not others (like why he's not allowed near schools or Chuck E Cheeses). There's also a ridiculous payoff for a Rain Man joke earlier in the film that works because Galifianakis sells it so well.
In the interest of keeping this review short, I won't mention all of the great supporting parts from Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Riggle, Matt Walsh, Bryan Callen, Mike Epps, and particularly Mike Tyson, who has a much better scene that just the Phil Collins moment in the trailer. I'm not at all surprised that a sequel is in the works for The Hangover, because the combination of Cooper, Helms, Galifianakis (and, to a lesser extent without spoiling anything Bartha**), is too good to pass up revisiting. I wouldn't mind seeing more of Heather Graham in a sequel, as he character is criminally underused in the film, aside from a third-act con game in the casino.
There is one complaint I must register with The Hangover, and it is a matter of personal disagreement. The Dan Band, who Phillips also used in Old School, show up near the very end of the film, and are featured in such a way that it nearly derailed my enjoyment of the entire film. I just don't like that group, and having them singing a lounge version of 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" isn't going to change that. Otherwise, the music alternates between bachelor party appropriate and inspired (like the use of Danzig's "Thirteen" to open the film).
If you're like the Cap'n and somehow slow to pick up on the universally positive buzz for The Hangover, now's as good a time as any to catch yourself up. I doubt you'll regret it, unless you offend easily or really like babies.
* Please don't fail to note that I've been sharing excerpts of a paper I wrote extolling the virtues of seeing films theatrically. The irony is not lost on me, I assure you.
** It was not until writing this that I checked IMDB to figure out why Justin Bartha looked so familiar. Turns out he was the "nerdy" character in National Treasure. His part in The Hangover is enough of a departure that I never made the connection.
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