The Hangover Review
This movie is laugh-out loud funny literally from the beginning through the closing credits. It’s about three friends who awake from a bachelor party without the groom, and can’t remember what happened to him because they blacked out during the party.
There are some narrative issues, particularly a blatant deus ex machina in the third act, but the laughs come so steadily it really doesn’t matter.
For the most part though the film succeeds because of solid comedy writing, contrasting characters, raising of the stakes, constant conflict…it’s strong work.
I think some reviewers have been surprised Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (who wrote the poorly-reviewed Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and wrote on the also poorly-reviewed Four Christmases) are credited, but Todd Phillips said in an interview available on Comingsoon.net that they wrote the PG-13 version and it was majorly rewritten.
Apparently they did come up with the structure, which is clever, we never really see the night in question. It becomes a mystery the trio of hungover friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) gradually unfurl.
Galifianakis totally steals the show, it was a genius move to cast him, his weird otherworldy comic touch (he seems like he’s always existing in a different universe) gives all his odd lines an even stranger sincerity. The fact he’s playing the outcast of the group only adds to the sense he’s a major-league (and hilariously) weird guy. Much like Old School to some degree was Will Ferrell’s bigscreen coming out party, this may be Galifianakis’.
The film represents for all intents and purposes the reincarnation of Todd Phillips, mired in PG-13 hell with the mediocre Starsky and Hutch and unsuccesful School for Scoundrels. Back in comfortable R-rated ground he delivers a comic masterpiece.
Hyped quite a bit, Hangover still meets expectations.
It already opened big on Friday and I expect it to play throughout the summer like “Wedding Crashers” did a few summers ago and become a massive hit.
I can’t say enough about how funny it is, truly. It’s so funny I also literally can’t say it, because a lot of the humor comes from the chemistry and interplay of the three leads and stunt-type characters of second bananas Ken Jeong (as a strangely effeminate gangster) and Mike Tyson (as Mike Tyson).
Throw in a chicken, tiger, baby and a missing tooth, and you’ve got yourself some summer fun.
-Dan Benamor