The Hangover, 2009, Movie Review
Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
Vulgar, juvenile, and somewhat offensive, The Hangover is one of the funniest movies that's come to the big screen in a while. It's a raunchy comedy that's sure to please immature frat boys and those that love them.
The Hangover Plot
Four friends head down to Vegas two days before their buddy’s wedding for a bachelor party they’ll never forget. Unfortunately the exact opposite occurs when three of them wake up the next morning in a trashed hotel room with a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, and the groom-to-be nowhere to be found. The real glitch? No one can remember a thing. Thus begins a whirlwind chase as the three remaining doofuses hunt down their friend by following the clues they left all over Vegas during their raucous night of tomfoolery.
Cast of Characters in The Hangover
The three lead characters have great chemistry, which is why this film works as well as it does. Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms are two old friends who have to work with an outsider they’re not particularly fond of in the search for their lost mate. Zach Galifianakis is the scene-stealer of the group as the missing groom's socially awkward future brother-in-law (the McLovin of the group if you will), who makes every bad situation just a little bit worse.
There are women in the film, but as they are not portrayed in a very flattering light, there isn’t much to say. There’s the uber-bitch girlfriend (Rachael Harris), and the hooker with a heart of gold (Heather Graham). They both offer a few amusing moments, but they aren’t too important to the story.
Also worth a mention is the much-hyped cameo by Mike Tyson. It gets a few laughs, but it’s really more of a distraction than an addition to the story. Strangely enough, Tyson isn’t much of a thespian.
What to Expect from The Hangover
What one gets out of the film will depend on what one expects from it. The good buzz that surrounded it before it opened may have actually done some damage, as audiences are going in with extremely high expectations. The script isn’t as clever and tightly-woven as had been reported, but it is pretty darn funny. The humor is offensive and juvenile, but since that was pretty much the crux of the marketing campaign, no surprise there.
The Hangover is a raucous comedy about a group of jackasses who get their comeuppance after a wild night of debauchery. That night, by the way, is evidenced in the closing credits that unbelievably didn’t earn the film an NC-17 rating. It’s not the greatest movie ever made, probably not the greatest movie of its kind either, but it’s pretty darn good. As long as you like immature humor, (the kind that somehow makes even child abuse kind of funny) you’ll have a lot of good laughs.
- The Hangover
- Directed by Todd Phillips
- Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore
- Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Rachael Harris
- Running time: 99 mins
Promotional Photo
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