The Hangover is without a doubt one of the funniest movies of the year. It’s a gut busting comedy that is consistently hilarious. It is not just a gross out road trip comedy, rather a fun, sharp comedy stacked with memorable moments and characters to love. This may not be a great comedy, it certainly has problems, but its miles better than most comedies released now a days (except for Apatow produced films).
The story revolves around three friends named Stu, Alan, and Fil. Two days before there best friend Doug’s gets married the four of them decide to head out to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Stu, Alan, and Fil wake up the next morning with no memory of the events of Doug’s bachelor party and Doug is missing. With no idea of Doug’s whereabouts, the three of them set out to retrace there steps to find him in time for his big wedding.
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While the story sounds generic it surpasses this qualm with non-stop hilarity. Every part of their escapade earns over-the-top laughs and are genuinely entertaining. Saving it from standard one-joke comedy land, it is constantly snappy with new material which leads to the film remaining indefinitely refreshing. The first two acts are highly engaging while we see the crew embark on their escapade to discover their friend. The third act is where the problems arise. Comedic actor Ken Jeung shows up as a character named Mr. Chow and while he is comical, his entrance is where the film becomes filled with pure predictability. It also throws the film off tone wise and the audience is no longer seeing these friends doing what they do best. The film could have been better if it had a more sharper story, but in the end the generic plot points isn’t much of a burden.
Director Todd Phillips is usually hit or miss, but here he is right on target. This is surely his funniest film yet (yes, even better than Old School). He keeps the film at a fast pace leaving behind no dull moment. Nothing ever comes off feeling like one repetitive adventure after another. The film is set up perfectly as a comedic mystery film. He is mildly to blame though for the disappointing last act which doesn’t live up to Phillips’ exceptional set up. Despite these problems, Phillips is still the man to give credit for overcoming a highly retreaded storyline.
Another pivotal reason why this comedy works so well is because all the actors share genuine chemistry. The characters feel like actual friends and their actions don’t feel implausible based on their outrageous personalities. Although all the actors deliver on many levels, the real scene stealer here is Zach Galifianakis. He’s constantly presenting original funny material and isn’t just a one-joke overweight man cliche. Galifianakis delivers the most memorable moments in the film and one is only left wanting more. Despite playing the typical cocky role, Bradley Cooper actually does actually succeed here. His character is snobbish, but comes off mildly likable and fun to watch. The Office veteran Ed Helms also provides a lot of laughs as the preppy worrier friend. On paper these character personas sound run-of-the-mill, but all their characters work and are believable.
While it does have it’s flaws, The Hangover is a blast. It is filled with highly quotable moments and it contains pitch-perfect comedic timing. The leads are extremely fun to watch and their characters share actual chemistry which most buddy films lack. Todd Phillips has outdone himself and has delivered a non-episodic, genuinely rewarding road trip film.
8 out of 10
What did you think of The Hangover?