The Hangover Movie Review
THE HANGOVER: A GOOD TIME
The Hangover is a hilarious romp about boys being boys. It is about a bachelor party gone awry in Las Vegas-but is there any other kind? The cast includes up and comer Bradley Cooper who proves he can play a bastard (He's Just Not That into You) and a suave, leader of the pack as he does here.
Doug (Justin Bartha) is getting married in a few days. But first there is the matter of a bachelor party to attend to. His cohorts include soon to be brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis), Stu (Ed Helms of The Office), and Phil (Bradley Cooper). They arrive in Vegas and plan on showing Doug the best time he has ever had. When they wake up the next morning, Doug is missing, the suite they are in is trashed, there is a tiger in the bathroom, and they can't remember anything from the night before. Their search for Doug leads them to dealings with an Asian mobster, Mike Tyson, and Stu finding out that he married stripper Jade during their adventure. They become desperate to find Doug and why they don't know what they did to lose him.
The movie hooks you right from the start. You are well aware they are going to find trouble the minute they hit the road but it will be entertaining as hell. There are laugh out loud moments, one liners that will stick with you, and events that will have you shaking your head. Each guy stands out but they also work well as a team. Cooper as leader Phil never loses his cool. Helms manages to make his uptight, girlfriend abiding dentist not pathetic. And Galfianakis as annoying Alan has great comedic timing. Vegas is predictably the location of choice for this night of debauchery. It provides the tacky wedding chapel that Stu unwittingly gets married at, the desert where the guys think they will find their groom, and Mike Tyson's palatial home. Sin City proves it is a character just as much as the guys are.
Rachael Harris as Stu's unforgiving and cruel girlfriend is one dimensional and irrelevant. Harris has made a career out of playing such women. She is meant to be unlikeable and we are left wondering why Stu became involved with her in the first place. But she does provide one of the film's running gags.
A fun night out with the boys is just what The Hangover promises. And director Todd Phillips delivers that and then some. This is a cast that obviously had a great time making the movie. And this is a story that is there to make you laugh as its male leads are run ragged through Las Vegas.
Report Card:
Story-B
Acting-B
Visuals-B
Originality/Innovation-B
Enjoyability Grade–A
Overall Grade-B+
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