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The Hangover
Directed by: Todd Phillips Starring: Zach Galifianakis Genre: Comedy Run Time: 100 min. Release Date: June 2009 On The Web: Official Site Teaser: Movie Trailer Reviewed by Byron Merritt |
A surprising combination of outlandishness, childishness, and drunkenness move along at a funny pace in this year’s comedic offering, THE HANGOVER. What really helps the film, too, is the complete contradictions that is each scenario surrounding four men who head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Doug the bachelor (Justin Bartha, NATIONAL TREASURE) heads to the city of sin with friends Phil (Bradley Cooper, FAILURE TO LAUNCH), Stu (Ed Helms, WALK HARD) and future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis, INTO THE WILD). All of them, as stated earlier, are complete contradictions. And these contradictions seep out of the film like nausea creeping up on you the day after heavy drinking. Doug, the bachelor, we don’t see much of because his buddies lose him their first night in Vegas ...and I mean they literally lose him. Doug is the responsible one who obviously lets go a bit too much as we later watch him — on a video surveillance tape — dry-hump a tiger they steal from Mike Tyson’s home. Yes, that Mike Tyson. Phil, the carefree one, has to become the responsible adult and find Doug amidst the chaos that is Alan and Stu. Stu, we quickly learn, has lost more than his marbles but also a tooth (did I mention that Stu is a dentist?). And Alan — who’s "not allowed within a hundred yards of a school" — ends up carrying a baby on his chest; a baby that they have no idea where it came from. But let’s back up a second... Our friends toast on top of a fancy hotel, drink their first round of drinks under the stars, and then remember nothing much after that. What the devil happened? Were they slipped a Mickey somehow? Regardless, the morning after, they awaken in their hotel room with quite a few surprises. First thing they notice is that their room is completely destroyed. The next is that they have a live Bengal Tiger in their bathroom. Then a baby in the closet. A missing tooth in Stu’s head. Missing pants for Alan. And all of them have misplaced their memories of the previous night. From here the story takes on a the role of a comedic mystery, trying to solve the prior night’s mishaps, shenanigans, and debauchery. The main theme, though, is to find out where Doug the bachelor might be. Stolen police cars, kidnapped and naked Orientals, and an unknown wedding all lead our three buddies to their goal. Making it back to the wedding (late, of course) the comedy takes a more serious twist as we find out what Doug has learned about his life, his future wife, and his friends (standing at the alter, we hear him become a responsible husband). But finding a camera after the wedding and viewing it with Stu, Alan, and Phil will end the film in a most shocking manner as the credits roll with bizarre screen shots. This film will most certainly not be for everyone. It isn’t, in anyway, similar to the 1984 Tom Hanks film BACHELOR PARTY. The Hangover is more gritty, more modern, and definitely more visual (in both a sexual and crude manner). It assaults the senses, which is why it works.
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Image from The Hangover
DVD cost: Not Yet Available Purchase: Not Yet Available Film Review Stew Favorite? No. Stew Poo-Poo? No. Newsworthy: During the first scene involving Las Vegas, the Danzig song "Thirteen" is played. The room number the characters stay in is room "2452", which added together separately equals "13". Thirteen is a very unlucky number in Las Vegas, hence the movie's entire plot. Movie Quote: "I always wondered why they were called roofies. Cause you're more likely to end up on the floor than the roof. They should call em floories."
Other Actors/Actresses from The Hangover
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Images from The Hangover
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