The Hangover (2009) Film Review and Hangover 2?
Todd Phillips' Comedy Is Top-Notch, but Is It Ripe for a Sequel?
Sep 11, 2009
The Hangover, directed by generation-defining comedy maestro Todd Phillips (Road Trip, Old School, School for Scoundrels), was released in theaters on June 5, 2009. Since then, the film has grossed over $400 million at the box office. It promises to shatter that amount when the movie is released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Yes, The Hangover is an outstanding movie, a true laugh-out-loud buddy film that brings raunchiness to new heights. Still, a sequel? More often than not, sequels are bad ideas, particularly in the comedy realm (e.g. Hot Shots Part Deux, any subsequent Porky's, Police Academy, or Meatballs movie). But The Hangover faces a host of problems road-blocking a continuation film that are unique to the original's plot. Any plot repetition may be beyond the realm of belief that audiences are prepared to accept.
Plot-wise, The Hangover Is Vegas Gone Wrong, Nothing Original
There are so many movies about Las Vegas action gone out of control that they almost qualify for their own genre. From Very Bad Things and 21 to Swingers and Oceans 11, the list goes on and on. Even Chevy Chase took his dysfunctional Griswold family there in Vegas Vacation. Each film tries to give new seediness to the City of Sin and play up to the old and tired adage, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." One film even titled itself after the verbiage (What Happens in Vegas).
The Hangover is no different. Its plot is simplistic. Four guys head to Vegas for a bachelor party. They get so intoxicated (tricked into taking an illegal substance) that the next day, they can't remember the events of the prior evening. To make matters worse, one of them, the groom-to-be, is missing. It is up to the other three to find him in time to get him to his wedding.
This plot seems mundane, inane, and unappealing. Yet, Phillips and the cast make a masterpiece from it. However, even in a fantastical movie world where reality can be stretched and molded, the odds of these four characters repeating the same mistakes and jointly losing all memory of an entire night for a second time seems too improbable to convince.
Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms & Zach Galifianakis Keep The Hangover Edgy, Fresh
Fortunately, The Hangover was so good that viewers want to be convinced it could happen again. Whoever cast this film deserves loads of credit. The groom (Justin Bartha) and the bride (Sasha Barrese) are almost insignificant characters, there merely to set up the plot. The real focus is on the three groomsmen and the trials and tribulations they endure as they search for their missing friend. It is this offbeat grouping, a clash of personalities that seemingly have no business working together, that mixes for amazing fun.
Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, Failure to Launch, He's Just Not That into You) stars as Phil Wenneck, a school teacher and philanderer with a questionable moral compass. Although he has adequately performed in several films and television shows, Cooper surprises with considerable acting talent and comedic timing. He is set to star as Templeton "Face" Peck in the upcoming A-Team movie, where he will hopefully display similar talent.
Ed Helms (Evan Almighty, Semi-Pro, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard) makes television funny. Whether it be his performances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or The Office, Helms is a plus to any cast. So why would his casting as the uptight dentist Stu Price in The Hangover be any different? It's hard to imagine Helms playing anyone serious, but as The Hangover's neurotic dentist who extracts his own tooth, he is absolutely superb.
Rounding out the groomsmen is Alan Garner, played by "Fat Jesus" Zach Galifianakis (Out Cold, Into the Wild, What Happens in Vegas). This career comedian excels at offbeat humor and can say just about anything with a straight face. His performance in The Hangover is no exception. His humor is by far the darkest and creepiest, but without Galifianakis' turn as Alan, The Hangover would be just another Vegas comedy.
The Hangover Is Outlandishly Funny. Do Audiences Really Need The Hangover 2?
Like it or not, The Hangover 2 is scheduled for a Memorial Day weekend release in 2011. According to Aceshowbiz.com, the sequel's script was written by Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong. Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis will all be returning.
But as Galifianakis himself put it in an interview with IGN:
"The movie’s really good, why bother with a sequel? And I’m not saying that I’m not going to do it. I’m just posing these questions. These are things I ask Todd. Obviously, the reason is executives have Bentleys to pay for. I would love, love, love to work with those guys again. The script has to be good!"
Although Galifianakis seems the least likely cast member to show acting integrity, he makes a solid point. Why ruin perfection? The Hangover is just fine the way it is. Why not leave it that way?
It seems the casting of Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis could make any movie funny. Bring back the character Leslie Chow, an effeminate Asian crimelord played by Ken Jeong, and The Hangover 2 will be worth watching for some cheap laughs and over-the-top gags.
But audiences will always compare it to the first film. Recreating the circumstances that led to the first film's misadventures would be absurd, which isn't to say that it was sane the first go-around. It will be interesting to see the premise behind the sequel.
In any event, fans of The Hangover don't have long to wait for more laughs. According to Eye Crave Network, The Hangover will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on December, 15, 2009, just in time for the holidays.
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