The Hangover (2009)
The Hangover(USA) Directed by Todd Phillips. Written by Jon Lucas; Scott Moore. Starring Bradley Cooper; Zack Galfinakis; Ed Helms; Justin Bartha; Rachael Harris; Ken Jeong; Jeffrey Tambor; Heather Graham; Mike Epps; Sasha Barrese
It’s obvious that we’re in trouble when a lowbrow comedy that shows naked male ass on at least three separate occasions gains as much positive reaction as anything else at the multi-plex so far this summer. It was also interesting to hear the stars, while doing press for the movie, talk about the novelty of the premise, failing to note that Dude, Where is My Car? has essentially the same plot. Thankfully, The Hangover, directed by Todd Phillips, is a lot better than that dismal schlock.
The comparison made during interviews with those involved was Memento, perhaps an aim at lending additional credibility. As evidenced by the initial box office, that was probably unnecessary, but to compare this to anything other than another similar genre entry would be giving it way too much credit. There have been many bachelor parties depicted on screen, and this one is very much in the spirit of the on-the-nose titled Bachelor Party (1984), starring Tom Hanks and costarring immortals Adrien Zmed and Tawny Kataen. In terms of comedy effectiveness, The Hangover falls somewhat short of the Wedding Crashers and Phillips’ previous effort Old School, with this one feeling the lack of bite that someone like Vince Vaughns bring to the table - the acerbic, wisecracking pistol who serves as a kind of commentator for the wacky proceedings.
The boys get to Las Vegas and we witness them checking into Caeser’s, opting for the best room they have, and arriving in their luxury suite. With the exception of Doug, who seems content and positive about getting married to Tracy (Sasha Barrese), the guys are all looking for a night of escape. It is revealed that Stu’s live-in fiancee (a very funny Rachael Harris), with whom he’s had a three year relationship, “fucked a bartender” on a cruise ship a year previous (this will become a running joke), and that Stu is decidedly lacking in the cajones department. Phil has a wife and young child, but expresses a sense of angry regret over being trapped, warning Doug that he’ll soon see what he’s in for. The least recognizably human character is Alan. Seemingly unemployed, and without friends or a relationship, he’s the outsider of the group, present only because of his brother-in-law status. Alan is a bit too excited to be there, and creepily tells the guys he now considers them all part of his wolf pack. In fact, he very earnestly compares them to wolves searching the night for hookers and cocaine.
Suddenly it’s morning and we observe the guys waking up severely hung-over, with no memory of the previous night. There is a chicken, a baby, and a tiger in their trashed $4200 luxury suite, and most of the rest of the movie is spent with the guys trying to figure out what happened to their missing friend Doug (as well as Stu’s tooth). Along the way, they encounter a series of absurd characters and situations. The supporting cast includes Heather Graham as stripper/escort Jade; Mike Epps (wasted in a small role) as Black Doug; Mike Tyson as himself; and Ken Jeong (who’s the focus of one particularly funny bit).
The whole affair would have been a bit more interesting if the relationship between the guys was investigated more deeply. Granted, one can only expect so much from a film of this type, but there is still an over-reliance on a loud soundtrack heavily laden with chart topping hip hop, car crashes, and canned violence to keeps things moving. Like many of the recent comedies of this type, the bits are hit or miss with some providing big laughs and others falling flat, but the photos at the end that play along with the credits (revealing the bachelor party they can’t remember) are great.