Movie Review: The Hangover

By Kevin Coll • June 5, 2009 • 6 Comments

“What Happens In Vegas…” well you know the rest. One of this year’s biggest buzzes coming out of ShoWest, which is also in Vegas, was the first footage and trailer of The Hangover, a raunchy Dude Where’s My Car type comedy from Old School director Todd Phillips.

As someone who has been to Vegas on multiple occasions I have to say that I do not unfortunately and fortunately have a story that revolves around finding a baby in the closet of my hotel room, a tiger chained in the bathroom or seat cushions on fire either with chickens walking around. Nor have I arrived back in my room to find Mike Tyson chilling and listening to Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight. Although I did run into Mr. Tyson at the Hard Rock once.

The Hangover, though one big unrealistic stereotype of a Bachelor Party gone wrong decides to spin its story around and not revolve on the night like Swingers would but would revolve around the day after when yes all those aforementioned things are present with no explanation or memory of it happening at all. Oh! yeah did I mention a Gay Asian Gambler and a stolen police car as well? If not this film had that too.

The film has predictable and unpredictable moments but like most comedies it isn’t the story that pleases but the comedic timing and situational positions of the characters that you laugh at and this movie has plenty of that. The comedy lies in the tragedy and we feel the pain and discomfort as though it is happening to us. The movie never feels like a series of skits, but an unraveling in which we all participate (or at least some of us who can relate to a night of heavy drinking). Lastly, the baby who tags along with guys searching for answers and the mother has some of the best facial expressions ever and adds to the hilarity. It is not until the very end that we are shown exactly what did happen on that forgotten night a raunchy photographic display indeed! Let’s just say the Hollywood trend of “man junk” is on full display.

The film is loopy, rauchy and funny as hell as it revolves around 3 friends, two days before their friends wedding have a Bachelor party in Vegas and wake up the next morning with pounding headaches, they can’t remember a thing. Their luxury $4000 per night hotel suite is beyond trashed and the groom is nowhere to be found.

With no clue about what happened and little time to spare, the trio must attempt to retrace their bad decisions from the night before in order to figure out where things went wrong in the hopes of finding Doug and getting him back to L.A. in time for his wedding.

But the more they begin to uncover, the more they realize just how much trouble they’re really in. Beyond the comedy the movie actually has some semblance of heart where a few of the guys find themselves and realize the things they have in their life don’t work (Stu – Ed Helms) and others realize the things in their life are as precious as they can get (Phil – Bradley Cooper).

Bradley Cooper stars as Phil, the guy with the plan, the fast-talker and the only one of the group who has experienced marriage and fatherhood, Phil feels a bit restricted by his life as a family man and high school English teacher and was looking forward to this trip as a rare opportunity to cut loose with his old college gang. He’s not about to let this little setback ruin his weekend. In the process Phil realizes his marriage and begin a father are better than waking up having no clue where you are or what you have done.

Cooper stands out in the film as very funny and as a leading man and in this story he takes on the role of the de facto leader. He’s the one who emerges from this morning-after mess and tries to get the other two to focus so they can figure out what happened and find Doug.

The other standout in the movie is Ed Helms, who fans from The Office might know, he plays Stu, the sweet but tightly wound dentist with the crushing sense of responsibility and a girlfriend back home who keeps him on a short leash and he is far from calm. The only thing that finally takes his mind off the fear of his precious Melissa finding the credit card receipts for this catastrophe is his discovery that, somehow, he has managed to lose a tooth. A first bicuspid, to be exact that is right up in front teeth, where there is now a gaping bloody space that he cannot begin to explain. Helms will please Office fans but doesn’t do anything amazingly out of the ordinary with his character and this is the same type of guy Matthew Perry played in The Whole Nine Yards, however he still made some great fun.

To conclude, with its flaws in story and raunchy humor, The Hangover is one the best comedies I have seen since Forgetting Sarah Marshall and a sequel which has already been announced by the studio is something I am very curious about. Phillips who brought me Old School and delivers another life finding group of men who bond over debauchery and drunkeness.

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