The hype train has really been in The Hangover‘s favour for the last month or so. Though the initial previews only seemed to gain a handful of blogposts and news articles, word slowly started to pick up and The Hangover was soon being called the summer comedy that you had to see. And while it is certainly the funniest movie of the year thus far, you can’t help but wonder how funny it would have been if the expectations weren’t so high.
The movie’s plot is simple and familiar – Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to get married and goes to Las Vegas with his soon-to-be brother-in-law Alan (comedian Zack Galifianakis) and two best-friends Phil (Nip/Tuck’s Bradley Cooper) and Stu (The Office’s Ed Helms). Of course, they get so shit-faced that when they wake up the next morning, their hotel suite is destroyed – including a baby in their closet and a tiger in their bathroom – and they can’t remember anything. Most importantly, the groom is missing. The movie utilizes a formula with limitless possibilities very well (certainly better than Dude, Where’s My Car), so much so that there is even a guest appearance by Mike Tyson, who likes Phil Collins but is a worse singer than my stepdad. In fact, Tyson’s scene is one of the best in the movie – he should consider some more comedy roles in the future.
For the rest of the time, you can expect some awesome oneliners – especially Galifianakis’s holocaust ring zinger – throughout the film, in addition to plenty of scenes that will have you in stitches. Although the plot is a slight variation of the typical “what the fuck happened last night?”, The Hangover fully takes advantage of an anything goes story and makes the mystery of what actually happened fun and interesting. The Hangover is certainly deserving of the hype, although it does limit how funny it would have been without it. Heather Graham‘s hotness – and breast-feeding – certainly helps the film out a bit as well.
(7.2/10)
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