Review: The Hangover

#96 - The Hangover


The Hangover tackles the classic story of guys having too much fun at a bachelor party. However, in this case, Doug, Phil, Stu, and Alan take it to the next level. Doug is getting married, and the guys are taking him to Vegas. They get a little too wasted (and drugged by Alan), so their lives are turned upside down in one night. Stu finds out he married a stripper, Phil ends up in the hospital, and Doug is missing. The friends set out on a journey around Vegas to find Doug, during which they each discover something about themselves. Phil, who was once an awful teacher and hated being a married father, ends up appreciating what he has in his life and vows to be a better man. Stu, who was trapped in a loveless, controlling relationship with a woman named Melissa, finds his confidence and realizes he's better off without her. Then there's Alan...Doug's soon-to-be brother-in-law...he learns nothing. He is just happy to be accepted by Phil, who he thinks is god's gift to men. In the end, they make it home in time for Doug's wedding, and they will never be the same again.

The Hangover is the first comedy in a long time that delivers on laughs from start to finish. Zach Galifianakis is a treasure in the comedy world, and Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms compliment his talent nicely. The writers take a probable situation: a bachelor party in Vegas and spin it into a whirlwind of hilarious antics and improbable situations. I'm pretty sure I've watched this movie over 50 times, and I still laugh. That's the mark of a good comedy.

Don't get me wrong though; there are flaws and things I do not like in the movie. Do I think there was a necessity for the whole Mike Tyson thing? Nope. The tiger could've easily had a different owner, or they even could've swiped it from a show or something. He wasn't funny, and the scenes that do have him in them are slow and lackluster. Not to mention that his slurred speech is sometimes incomprehensible.
I also don't like Bryan Callen, who plays the owner of the wedding chapel. Callen's portrayal of a middle eastern man is both crass and unrealistic. You can tell he's playing a character, rather than being believable. It comes across as a bit racist...not that that matters in this movie. The nudity of Galifianakis during the credits is a bit off-putting as well. I don't think nudity is necessary in a movie. If someone has to result to something like that, then that means they're out of funny material. That's what is called "lowbrow comedy."
And this is more of an issue I have with Hangover II than it is with this film, but I don't like that Jade and Stu part ways, and he marries someone else. I think the chemistry between Stu and Jade is real. Heather Graham and Ed Helms are so playful on screen, that I almost forget that she's a stripper whom he had just met and married the night before. That really bummed me out when they had Stu marry another woman in the sequel.

Overall though, The Hangover is a great comedy to pop in when you need a laugh.

I give The Hangover 4.5 out 5 stars.