The Hangover

The Hangover

The Hangover - Directed by Todd Phillips, starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis - Rated R

The Kurgan loves movies about debauchery.



The Hangover, despite a slow start, is a downright hilarious comedy that is a welcome change from all the big summer movie fare. This movie doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. It is an R-rated comedy about a bachelor party gone wrong in Las Vegas. You can imagine the glorification of debauchery that ensues.

It all starts with Doug (Justin Bartha of National Treasure fame) getting fitted for a tux with his off-balance future brother-in-law, Alan (Zach Galifianakis in what is sure to be a breakout role). Doug and Allan then head off to pick up schoolteacher buddy Phil (the hilarious Bradley Cooper) and dentist pal Stu (Ed Helms). The four head off to Vegas for a drunken, but well intentioned bachelor party. So you have to wade through the expository stuff, like how Stu is afraid to stand up to his controlling girlfriend, Allan could be a problem if he drinks too much, and Phil can’t wait to get out of school and forget he has a job or a family, so you can get to the best part: the morning after the party. That’s when the guys lose the groom.

This turns the film into a funny detective film. Phil, the assumed leader of the trio, even takes down notes as they try to backtrack their steps from the night before. The detective aspect is what sets this film apart. I found it hilarious as the guys bribed witnesses and questioned bystanders to try and figure out such mysteries as why they have a tiger and a baby in their hotel room and why they came back to the hotel in a stolen police car.

I don’t want to go into any more details than I have already since parts of this film (such as the taser scene) lost their luster for me since I had seen the preview so many times. But this is not one of those movies where every funny scene is in the previews, though one or two of the funniest moments are in the preview. There are consistent laughs throughout the film and the story is actually interesting, which is a bit rare for a comedy of this nature.



Of course the jokes are only as funny as the people telling them and this cast handles them all well. I must reiterate how funny Galifianakis is in this. This is a comedian who knows how to sacrifice his body for comedy. His jutting gut and bushy beard make him a funny sight, and it helps that he can act as well. Ed Helms, he of the prominent missing tooth, makes full use of his sight gag by regularly giving a big toothy smile which makes the gap blatantly obvious in each scene. He looks so unaware of the missing tooth that the joke never got old for me. Bradley Cooper is the one holding it all together and he has a certain charisma that really gets the audience rooting for these guys to find their lost friend.

I need to say something about the makeup department for this film as well. I normally don’t pay attention to this type of thing (unless it’s a zombie movie), but they did an amazing job in roughing these guys up. Just by looking at the three of them when they wake up in the trashed hotel suite you can tell that they have had a very long night. It adds to the hilarity of the film when you can just look at a character’s face and chuckle a bit.



The makeup is not the only sense of style in this film, though. Director Todd Phillips (Old School) manages to squeeze in a few of his trademarks: the band from Old School that performed the curse-laden version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” makes an appearance, the song choice is dead on and very funny at times, and the director himself makes his obligatory mustachioed cameo. Phillips also manages to throw in a few amusing references to other Vegas-based films like Casino and Swingers.

Aside from those slight examples of style, this is your basic raunchy comedy, but it doesn’t make apologies for that. Instead it embraces it, and that’s what makes The Hangover so funny.

Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

The Hangover

A toast to a movie we’ll never forget!

One Word Review: GREAT

The Hangover opens with flowers being delivered for a wedding as the anxiety builds behind the preparations for the groom’s arrival.  The phone call from a beat-up best friend in the desert stating, very simply, “We lost Doug” sets the scene for a wild flashback tale full or questions that keep the audience in hysterics and wondering just what the hell is going to happen next.   How did Doug get lost? Will he get to his own wedding in time? Who’s tiger is it anyway?

The storytelling keeps the antics fresh and absurd, yet you buy into it all the way. The bottom line, this is the best fun at the movies this year.

The Story

The story is part mystery and part comedy, the quest for Doug driving the main plot forward with the ticking clock of the wedding pushing the action along at a brisk pace. The disaster scene the guys wake up to in their hotel room is all the set-up the story needs for the audience to buy in for the ride. We feel for the four guys (three best friends and one outsider) just out for fun for one bachelor night in Vegas gone horribly wrong.

Once the camera pans around the destroyed hotel suite, the plot device of “what the hell happened?” directs the hilarious ride that follows as the guys meet a series of wild characters and situations.

It all ends well, which is important for audience satisfaction with the character conflicts resolved and (so I hear) a sequel set-up in the works.

The Genre

R-rated comedies have been filling theaters of late, more gross in content than box office.  Very few have made it to #1, but when they do it is usually because they are actually funny and satisfying and fresh.

The Hangover is a keeper, a movie you’ll revisit in DVD because the audience laughs so much in the theater you don’t catch all the lines. You also want to see some things again, not really believing “did I just see that?”

The cast seems to be having such a good time; I also look forward to the outtakes and bloopers.  This is a movie with staying power, launching a few careers from the cast. It reminds me most of There’s Something About Mary and the impact that movie had on the careers of Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz.

The Overall Quality

This movie features an ensemble cast of relative unknowns, faces you’ve seen elsewhere but can’t quite put a name to. They work well together, supported by choice performances by Heather Graham as the stripper and Ken Jeong as the mysterious Mr. Chow.

Todd Phillips deft hand for comedy shines here and is a breath of fresh creative juice from the chain of Judd Apatow/Seth Rogan movies dragged through theaters lately.

The MarketBOB GQS Score: BULL

Reviewing the Genre, Quality and Story, The Hangover scores high in all three categories.

For MarketBOB’s sentiment indicators, this movie is a reinforcement of the triumph of the human spirit during times of adversity. If these guys can make it through these two days, investors can make it through this market.

It also makes audiences realize how important it is to have a change of scene to realize what is important in your life and what is not, as the characters deal with what is going on in Vegas and back home.

Finally, the few R-rated comedies that topped the box office have performed well. Two that come to mind with similar themes are Superbad and the previously mentioned There’s Something About Mary, both positive influences on investor sentiment to the tune of 4%.

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The Hangover Movie Review

MarketBOB Movie Review
 
June 7, 2009 

A toast to a movie we’ll never forget!

One Word Review: GREAT

The Hangover opens with flowers being delivered for a wedding as the anxiety builds behind the preparations for the groom’s arrival.  The phone call from a beat-up best friend in the desert stating, very simply, “We lost Doug” sets the scene for a wild flashback tale full or questions that keep the audience in hysterics and wondering just what the hell is going to happen next.  How did Doug get lost?  Will he get to his own wedding in time?  Who’s tiger is it anyway? 
The storytelling keeps the antics fresh and absurd, yet you buy into it all the way.  The bottom line, this is the best fun at the movies this year.
 
The Story

The story is part mystery and part comedy, the quest for Doug driving the main plot forward with the ticking clock of the wedding pushing the action along at a brisk pace.  The disaster scene the guys wake up to in their hotel room is all the set-up the story needs for the audience to buy in for the ride.  We feel for the four guys (three best friends and one outsider) just out for fun for one bachelor night in Vegas gone horribly wrong.
Once the camera pans around the destroyed hotel suite, the plot device of “what the hell happened?” directs the hilarious ride that follows as the guys meet a series of wild characters and situations. 
It all ends well, which is important for audience satisfaction with the character conflicts resolved and (so I hear) a sequel set-up in the works.   
 
The  Genre

R-rated comedies have been filling theaters of late, more gross in content than box office.  Very few have made it to #1, but when they do it is usually because they are actually funny and satisfying and fresh. 
The Hangover is a keeper, a movie you’ll revisit in DVD because the audience laughs so much in the theater you don’t catch all the lines.  You also want to see some things again, not really believing “did I just see that?”

The cast seems to be having such a good time; I also look forward to the outtakes and bloopers.  This is a movie with staying power, launching a few careers from the cast.  It reminds me most of There’s Something About Mary and the impact that movie had on the careers of Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz.   

 The Overall Quality

This movie features an ensemble cast of relative unknowns, faces you’ve seen elsewhere but can’t quite put a name to.  They work well together, supported by choice performances by Heather Graham as the stripper and Ken Jeong as the mysterious Mr. Chow. 
Todd Phillips deft hand for comedy shines here and is a breath of fresh creative juice from the chain of Judd Apatow/Seth Rogan movies dragged through theaters lately. 

The MarketBOB GQS Score: BULL

Reviewing the Genre, Quality and Story, The Hangover scores high in all three categories.
For MarketBOB’s sentiment indicators, this movie is a reinforcement of the triumph of the human spirit during times of adversity.  If these guys can make it through these two days, investors can make it through this market. 

It also makes audiences realize how important it is to have a change of scene to realize what is important in your life and what is not, as the characters deal with what is going on in Vegas and back home.
Finally, the few R-rated comedies that topped the box office have performed well.  Two that come to mind with similar themes are Superbad and the previously mentioned There’s Something About Mary, both positive influences on investor sentiment to the tune of 4%.   

For the latest reviews and analysis of movies and their impact on market psychology, go to www.marketbob.com
 

Last updated: 2010-03-26 04:19:00 by FadingMemory

The Hangover

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zack Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
Comedy, 2009 (Rated R)

A Bachelor Party in Vegas turns into a wild night of jail, musical cars, impromptu weddings, and various injuries that not a single one of the guys can remember when they wake up hung over in their trashed Vegas room. They find a baby and a stray tiger in their room and that is just the beginning of the clues they discover from their wild antics the night before. They must piece everything together, do some damage control and and get back home within 48 hours or else the Groom is going to miss his wedding.

• I've been waiting a while to see this one and have heard some very good things about it. It did not disappoint.
• This movie was freakin' hilarious.
• If ever there was a bachelor party from hell this is it.
• I loved all of the four characters in the movie. They were each interesting and funny in their own way.
• Heather Graham & Mike Tyson have small roles.

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Just Me

The Hangover

I give the movie: 3.5/5

The Hangover is the kind of crass comedy that you'd want to catch with your buddies and have a laugh over. Don't mistake this as some crude Epic Movie kind of crap - this road-trip of a movie is actually very, very funny.

As Katy Perry sings, "That's what you get for waking up in Vegas." 2 buddies and one future brother-in-law wakes up in a Vegas suite after a night of hard-partying to find that the groom-to-be is missing, and they've just added one unknown baby and a tiger (a living, breathing one) to their entourage. And the wedding's the next day. Tough luck, you'd say. But that's when the hilarity kicks in as they scramble to unravel what exactly happened the night before, and of course, try their best to locate their pal.

This is not really Judd Apatow-goodness, but for the earnestness in the comedy that it portrays, this hangover is actually not a headache afterall. Throw in a dash of romance and some very true outlook on love, you've got yourself a nice little movie.

FINAL SAY:
As they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas - and that is exactly the mayhem that fuels this hilarious comedy.

Wilson Ng - http://wilsoniscurious.blogspot.com/

Last updated: 2010-03-14 05:12:51 by wilsoniscurious

The Hangover

Starring:

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakas, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Rachel Harris, Rob Riggle and Mike Tyson

Director: Todd Phillips

Genre: Comedy

Rated: R

Doug Billings (Justing Bartha) is about to get married but before he does he and his two closest friends Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper) and Stu Price (Ed Helms) along with his future brother in law Alan (Zach Galifianakas) are headed to Las Vegas for the Bachelor Party. The next day with the groom nowhere to be found Phil, Stu and Alan with no recollection of the night before must put the pieces together of what happened, locate the groom and get to the wedding.

The Hangover is another exceptional comedy from Todd Phillips the director of Old School. This is one of the best Comedies to come out in a long time. The Cast is fantastic with the breakout star being Zach Galifianakas. As Alan, Zach is the “Frank the Tank” of the Hangover you have no idea what he is going to say but it is always funny. Although there are a lot of crazy moments in the film they hit every one of them perfectly. The beauty of The Hangover is that they don’t show what happened the night of the Bachelor Party so you are just as interested in finding out what debauchery to take place as the main cast is. What happened to the groom? Why is there a tiger in there suite? How did they end up with a cop car and a baby? It is a great ride finding out what happened and from these situations laughs continuously flow.  This is one of those movies where you want to watch it multiple times and you will be quoting it for years to come. The first great comedy of the year and a must watch.

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‘The Hangover’ Best Quotable Movie Since ‘Superbad’

The Hangover is a simple little movie. A bunch of guys hit Vegas for one last crazy night before their friend gets married away. It's only what occurs after the "what the hell happened last night?" stage: the morning after, that makes The Hangover so original, so unique. You do find yourself wondering why this hasn't been done before yet every guy at one point in their life has experienced the epic drunkenness stage that is the hangover. Adam McKay's done NASCAR, Judd Apatow did the middle-age virgin, Kevin Smith lazy gas station employees…and then there's Todd Phillips. Phillips has had probably only two hit movies in his career: Old School and Road Trip (which, by the way, are both planning sequels). Phillips could've hired his previous films' stars Will Ferrell and Seann William Scott and did a buddy movie (two dudes in Sin City trying to get laid! Gnarly!)

But this guy, this exceptionally funny director, decided to take the road less traveled and hire a few different stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha. Cooper being the only well-known cast member, the others you've probably seen before. Helms plays Andy on NBC's The Office, Bartha was in National Treasure-but wait, what about Galifianakis, the undeniably best part about The Hangover? A person has to be a die-hard comic fanatic to know who he is. The scruffy North Carolina native has appeared on Adult Swim's late-night Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! And Comedy Central's Reno 911! and The Sarah Silverman Program. He's also lent his voice to Tom Goes to the Mayor. But after The Hangover, his first real starring role in a feature-length movie, he's going on to do actual cinematic pieces. Why, just next month he'll be in Disney's G-Force and later this year Miguel Artera's highly-anticipated Youth in Revolt. The funny part about him, from the baby jokes to "offensive language", is the overall everyman style he's got to him. We haven't seen anything this relatable since Seth Rogen. Could he be (-gasp-) the next Seth Rogen??

Onto The Hangover. The movie starts off with Phil (Bradley Cooper) in the middle of the desert on the phone with Tracey (Sasha Barrese), telling her that his friends and him have lost the groom.

"We're getting married in five hours!" "Yeah…That's not gonna' happen."

From there it revisits the time before the party to every wacky, hilarious detail that comes with retracing their steps to finding the husband-to-be in a city where anything can happen. I can't complain with this one. The Hangover has to be the most quotable movie since Superbad; as it will surely be the hot topic at the water cooler. Cameos from Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson, Heather Graham (we get some nipple action, but not in the way you're imagining) and The Daily Show's Rob Riggle only add to one of the funniest comedies I've seen so far this year.

John Lucas and Scott Moore's previous screenplays Four Christmases and Ghost of Girlfriends Past have nothing on this ultra-dirty one; it's in a whole 'nother category. Phillips is at his best since Road Trip; this movie is stupid funny! If you're looking for something to do this weekend, this movie will teach you: never go to Vegas. But see this movie!

"There's a tiger in the bathroom!" "What?...OH FUCK, there is a fucking tiger in there!"

4/5 stars.

-Nick

the hangover

funniest movie of the summer.  freaking hilarious.  i think i have to put this in the category with old school.  sorry will ferrell.  land of the lost is pretty funny, but the hangover is an instant classic.  a must add to any respectable video library.

it’s got mike tyson singing phil collins.  it’s got guys getting tased in the face.  it’s got strippers, it’s got gambling, it’s got a naked chinese man jumping out of a car trunk.  i could go on and on.  it’s great.

my vocabulary is too limited to truly describe how funny this movie is.  i mean, there are moments where i feel i’ve seen this before in a really bad movie with ashton kutcher and that kid that played stifler, dude where’s my car?  because the movie is about these guys that go to vegas for a friends bachelor party and get effin ripped on roofies by accident and wake up with no idea what happened.  they are missing the groom, have a tiger in thier bathroom, one of them is married to a stripper and there’s a baby in the closet.

are you kidding me?  it’s got some gross out moments and some knee slapping.  i don’t know what else to say other than go see it.  it’s the movie to see this week.  unless you still havn’t seen star trek.  then go see star trek.

they do coke with carrot top, man.  needless to say, this isn’t a kids movie.  it’s a good solid R.  but those are the funniest.

five shots of jager out of five.  instant classic.

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Cal Reed

The Hangover: A Fecal Fallacy

THE HANGOVER leaves a sour aftertaste, as funny as throwing up in the back of your mouth…or into someone else’s. Director Todd Phillips has made a mean spirited and condescending travelogue that is as misogynistic as it is unfunny: a movie that celebrates male entitlement by condemning every female character and condoning domestic duplicity. Phillips choice of casting Mike Tyson in a violent punch-drunk cameo, a man who mumbles his way through inane dialogue that is neither humorous nor comprehensible, is an apt metaphor for the entire film: Tyson is a convicted spousal abuser whose pugilistic skills transcended the boxing ring.

The male characters are unlikable caricatures and one wonders why they are even friends in the first place. The women are enslaved by a vapid script that seems to have been written by a juvenile delinquent, purposely belittled and debased and kept to the periphery of the narrative: the film’s conceit is that men have the right to live secret lives because their partners are not even worthy of the truth. This is an appalling celluloid recipe that is created by idiots and catered to idiots.

Structurally, the film is viscerally appealing, as the three men must discover what happened to the Groom because they have no memory of the “awesome” party they had in Vegas the previous night: clues are revealed and most are explained without the use of flashbacks…the only compliment I will attribute to this fecal fallacy. The cinematography is uneventful and bland while the soundtrack buzzes with a sonorous formulaic frenzy.

The premise is disturbing and patently preposterous: the four men drink alcohol unknowingly spiked with Flunitrazepam, otherwise known as the “date rape” drug. The imaginative effect is that they all party and have grandiose adventures but cannot remember anything in the morning: this is not only impossible but also offensive.

I charge the film’s worst offense as Aggravated Indecent Insult, a Felony of the First Degree, focused upon two specific women: the Dentist’s absurd wife and the prostitute with the “heart of gold”. The good doctor’s spouse is a papier-mâché cliché that exists only in the fevered mind of abusive men who view themselves as victims, allowing them an excuse for abhorrent and criminal behavior. The Vegas hooker takes advantage of the doctor when she knows he is under the influence and, of course, needs a wealthy man to save her from this life of sexual objectification. The film’s finale is the final straw of infidelity, where the Groom’s vow is to his cohorts and not his Bride. Now, if only I could suffer from Anterograde amnesia. Final Grade: (F)

Recommendations: The Birds, Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960), Funny Games

All reviews copyright Korova, Ltd. Visit Alex at his Home Theatre Blog, http://korovatheatrepresents.blogspot.com/

The Hangover

"The Hangover"... You come across these people in life who think this is the greatest movie ever. These people are lying to you on a couple of different levels. The movie made a ton of money last summer and got positive reviews. It is also very over-hyped; which isn't to say it's not a funny movie...it actually is pretty funny. It was way better than the trailer would lead me to believe. I originally wanted to avoid it at all costs because the trailer was terrible. But I went to see it in theaters and saw it again recently on DVD. It kind of grows on you. It is a ridiculously stupid movie and at times more gross than legitimately funny, but there are several funny lines and scenes to be had...such as Mike Tyson's cameo and Ken Jeong. The four main guys also have their moments...mainly Zach Galifianakis. And Jeffrey Tambor is great in his small part at the beginning of the movie. Well I'm assuming the majority of people have already seen it and know what it's about, but here's a summary in a long sentence: Four guys are on their way to Las Vegas for their friend's bachelor party, but once they get there they get drugged and don't remember the night before, and the soon-to-be groom goes missing and they have to try and find him and return Mike Tyson's tiger before the wedding starts. It's worth seeing a couple times, but it's not as great as people claim. It's pretty funny, but I would be embarrassed to own it and I personally thought "Zombieland" was funnier. Bill Murray's cameo...enough said.

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The Hangover

Finally, a comedy that's more than just a series of skits.

"The Hangover" works for two reasons: 1) the situation is so damn simple and 2) the characters, for all their flaws, remain likeable throughout.

The situation is this: Three friends -- newly-minted movie star Bradley Cooper, sitcom fave Ed Helms and standup comic Zach Galifianakis -- take a fourth friend, Justin Bartha, the nerdy sidekick of the "National Treasure" movies, to Vegas for a night of debauchery just before his wedding.

Before hitting the town, Bradley Cooper raises his glass to toast "A night we'll never forget."

Smash cut to the next morning. The three friends wake up with no memory of the night before. All they have are clues -- a free-range chicken, a toothy Bengal tiger, an infant in a babyseat -- and a problem: there is no sign of groom-to-be Justin Bartha.

The trio must retrace their steps from the night before to discover what happened to their friend, whose fiancee keeps urgently calling.

Needless to say, many hijinks ensue, but the spine of the story is so strong that even the most bizarre detours from logic and plot continuity somehow do not feel episodic. George Lucas said the success or failure of a movie is determined the moment its core concept solidifies. "The Hangover's" core concept gives it a huge margin for error.

Happily, this is not all the movie has going for it. Our three protagonists each bring a different perspective to their adventure. Cooper, though a selfish ladies man type, has a fairly standard set of emotional reactions and we experience the story mostly through him, even if he is a little better looking and a little cooler than we will ever be. Helms plays the prig, the squeamish type whose abnormal discomfort with the entire situation is a reliable source of humor. And Zach Galifianakis plays a dude who is just plain weird.

There are unsavory aspects to these characters, and in a different context they might not be the most sympathetic of men. But over the course of their Vegas adventure they are so consistently abused and humiliated we can't help but root for them.

A great example occurs when the trio is in the car. They hear a thumping noise coming from the trunk. Concluding they have accidentally locked their missing friend in the trunk of their car, they immediately pull over and open the trunk. To their surprise, a naked Chinese man springs out, swinging a tire iron and screaming indecipherable curses.

The naked Chinese man proceeds to beat the hell out of our main characters, leaving all three writhing on the hot Vegas ground. The movie is full of such promising opportunities that turn into steps backward along the quest, a surefire way to increase sympathy as well as dramatic tension. One of the greatest failings of the amateur writer is the desire to make life easier on the protagonist. "The Hangover" makes things continually harder, and profits by it.

Given these factors, the movie can easily withstand Heather Graham's bad acting, Mike Tyson's worse acting, a few tonal inconsistencies (including a "Eureka" moment for Ed Helms that could have come from an episode of Scooby-Doo) and a final ten minutes (excepting a clever credits sequence) that does not really work on any level.

"The Hangover" is a perfect summer concoction, a story about a disastrous night in Vegas that ends up being so much fun it makes you want to go to Vegas anyway, consequences be damned.

SCORE:

How Accomplished: 82/100 (comedy is hard!)

How Much I Enjoyed: 82/100

The Hangover

A few years ago, while staying at a London hotel, Kiefer Sutherland attacked a Christmas tree. He did it because he was drunk. He did it because someone bet him. And he did it because life is only lived once. Men need have drunken adventures. In times gone by, men sailed the high seas drunk, they went into battle drunk; in the case of Ulysses S. Grant, they even commanded armies drunk. Today, we live in a macro-biotic, cubicle world, far removed from the wild exploits of our forebears. But we still have drink. And men like Kiefer. The new comedy, The Hangover, is a paean to drunken debauchery. Ulysses S. Grant would have loved it.

The movie begins chronologically out of synch. Four men stand around a wrecked car in the Nevada desert. They are battered, torn and magnificently bedraggled. One of them speaks into a cell phone. He’s telling his best friend’s bride-to-be that they’ve misplaced her husband. Two nights ago, four friends had embarked on a fairly white-bread bachelor party. Two days later, they’re minus a groom. The man on the cell-phone looks like a men’s fragrance commercial. He’s more dishevelled than traumatised. His only real problem is that he can’t remember what happened to him and his friends. He definitely isn’t the type who regrets much in life.

Bradley Cooper plays the kind of guy who smiles when he walks in on a bar-fight. Not because he’s a fighter, but because: it’s a bar-fight! You need a man like Cooper in the kind of situations that crop up inThe Hangover, someone who’ll stay irrationally calm in moments of hysteria. Even when he breaks it to the bride that her husband is missing, there’s something in voice that relishes the predicament. Cooper isn’t cruel; he just prefers adventure over normality. We see it when he laughs at the sight of a tiger in his hotel bathroom. He’s been paying the mortgage and doing the dishes for ten years, and then, mercifully, this hits. While his co-stars boggle and whine at what Vegas does to them, Cooper gives thanks.

What The Hangover understands is that Las Vegas is hard liquor in a novelty glass. Vegas – let’s be honest – looks hideous. There’s scarcely a more maimed patch of real-estate on the West Coast. Think of it: is there another city in the world that’s only recognisable at night? Aesthetes don’t do Vegas; barbarians do. What Vegas offers is the same thing Lindisfarne offered to the Vikings: pillage privileges. Men come to the city to enjoy themselves in ways that are reprehensible. The trick to The Hangover is that it doesn’t chastise Vegas, but it doesn’t sugar-coat it either. It’s the thorniness of its depiction of the city that makes it fun.

Ed Helms plays the voice of reason in the movie. He’s the one in the poster who’s missing a tooth. Where Bradley Cooper looks like he could get comped at a strip club, Helms is the guy who asks the strippers about their kids. He’s a dentist, and he’s dating Medea. The scene where he has a showdown with his bitchy girlfriend is so cheer-inducing it’s like watching Rocky win. As Helms’ new best friend, Zach Galifianakis plays a man with the IQ of bubblegum. The word “doofus” doesn’t do him justice. He’s the kind of stupid that cults get founded on. Even his beard is eccentric. With his satchel and his pot belly, he looks like a professor from Patchouli U.

Kiefer Sutherland may not be in The Hangover, but the Youtube clip of Kiefer attacking a tree is The Hangover’s spirit. He is unabashed in the clip; a man without thought of the morning after. He’s seventeen again, if only for a moment. Drinking too much has always been about reclaiming youth. In the same way sex is death defying, drinking spits at mortality. We all know beer is bad for us, like red meat, like gambling, like lack of sleep. But in our hearts we long to not know these things. That’s why guys (and girls) go to Vegas, to let go of levelheadedness. The Hangover is like the drink that tips you over tipsy. It’s a merry tale of the abyss.

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The Hangover

Writers: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore, Jeremy Garelick
Writer and Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Zack Galfinakis,
Ken Leung, Mike Tyson, Ed Helms, Heather Graham

The writer and director of "Old School" has made the flat out funniest movie of 2009! This was a little of a surprise because I didn't expect a classic comedy equal to "Stripes", "Animal House", "Wedding Crashers" or "Caddyshack". This deserved to be a monster hit because it is hilarious from the first frame to the last. This movie has balls and is not afraid to hold anything back in the raunchiness department. I am a little tired of these big Hollywood comedies playing it safe. The best compliment I can give this is that I laughed my ass off! Bradley Cooper is a major star now because of this and Zack Galfinakis is now in major demand. Galfinakis might be the new John Belushi for I have been a fan of his for years and he is very funny. I hope in the coming years there will be more comedies as bold and as hilarious as this one.

Vincent Snavely

THE HANGOVER (2009)

BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: They planned a Vegas bachelor party that they would never forget. Now they really need to remember what exactly went down! Whose baby is in the closet of their Caesars Palace suite? How did a tiger get in the bathroom? Why is one of them missing a tooth? And most of all, where is the groom? What the guys did while partying can’t compare to what they must do sober in an outrageous caper that has them piecing together all their bad decisions from the night before – one hazy clue at a time. Director Todd Phillips (Old School) and an all-aces comedy cast bring it big time with unpredictable situations that somehow all fit together. Tie one on with THE HANGOVER.

FILM REVIEW: “The Hangover” is something of a surprise, a film that sort of fits the ‘silly comedy’ genre but somehow does it in a very clever, witty and yes, funny way. The film is a boys’ fantasy, but there is much to enjoy for everyone in this caper about a group of guys out on a bachelor party in Las Vegas who wake the next morning to find that not only can they not remember what happened, but they have to find out to get themselves out of the trouble they find themselves in that they have no recollection about. Much of what works in “The Hangover” is the zany, but clever script, which is used to great measure by a strong director and the fantastic chemistry he gets from all the actors involved. Despite a slow and uneven start, “The Hangover” is a lot of fun, and unlike many comedies, has replay value thanks to its timeless jokes and setting.
The film opens with a flash-forward to a scene that takes place towards the end of the film. Phil (Bradley Cooper) makes a call to the bride-to-be that they may have lost the groom. We then move back two days where we see the guys get together, ready to go on their trip. This entire set up, although necessary to establish the characters and their relationships, is the weakest part of the film, thanks to the fact that it is long and sluggish, with only a moment or two of comedy which hints at what is to come and seems oddly out of place with what you are watching. During these sequences, you might wonder if this film is actually going to go somewhere or turn in to a disappointing bore. However, thanks to a fantastic time-lapse transition from night to day, the film leaps over the bachelor party to the next morning, where we see the guys hung over; this is where the fun really begins.
Dissolving to a close-up of Stu (Ed Helms) passed out on the floor, a chicken appears behind him, slowly walking across the frame. The immediate impulse is to laugh as you have to wonder, what is a chicken doing in their Vegas suite? The comedy in “The Hangover” follows this pattern of “what the?” jokes, but somehow manages to up the comedy ante when we learn how these things happen, except unfortunately for the explanation as to the appearance of the chicken. Alan’s (Zach Galifianakis) discovery of a tiger in the suite’s bathroom is hilarious, as is each manic discovery afterwards including that Stu somehow pulled out his tooth and got married to a stripper named Jade (Heather Graham), there is a baby in a side room, they stole a police car, they lost the groom Doug (Justin Bartha), and they somehow crossed both Mike Tyson (who hilariously plays himself) and an effeminate Chinese gangster.
Despite the silliness of the idea, director Todd Phillips and his cast make all of the humour real and engaging, and as such, have crafted an hilarious film. Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms are excellent in their roles as Phil and Stu, but the surprise here is Zach Galifiankis as Alan; his character could have easily become the slapstick comedy stereotype, and his first few scenes suggest that he will become a silly character, but over the course of the film, he becomes quite endearing and three dimensional, as all the other characters do. In this respect, the film stands out over many others in the same genre.
“The Hangover” is great fun, and has repeat value. Although the film’s first twenty minutes are average, the film hits high gear by the second act, leaving you wanting more.

TECHNICAL REVIEW: The visuals stand out spectacularly in this DVD transfer. Although the film is a comedy, the filmmakers constructed some wonderful vistas of Vegas that are faithfully represented here. The colours are strong and vibrant, and the picture itself is very clean and crisp. The audio is likewise excellent, again making good use of the surround channels despite being a comedy which traditionally does not create strong surround environments.

EXTRAS REVIEW: There are only a couple of extras on this DVD. The main one is the “Map Of Destruction” which at first is a little confusing because it looks like a DVD menu, but when you realise it is actually playing back a series of behind the scenes clips automatically, it works. Unfortunately the clips are quite short and do not provide all that much in behind the scenes material other than a good section on how cooperative Caesars Palace was to the production. There is an hilarious music video of the “Three Best Friends” song, and a gag reel. Not much here to get excited about.

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it.

FILM RATING: 7.5/10 -- EXTRAS RATING: 4/10 -- OVERALL DVD RATING: 7/10 

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Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

THE HANGOVER (2009)

BOTTOM LINE: Despite a slow start, “The Hangover” is surprisingly funny, delivered with clever wit and a strong chemistry between the lead characters. Director Todd Phillips manages to elevate an otherwise unbelievable ‘stupid-comedy’ story to something more hilariously believable and down to earth.

THE GOOD: The premise is an oldie but a goodie; four guys go to Vegas to have a huge bachelor party but end up having a bigger night than expected, losing the groom and slowly discovering how bad a night they had as they search for their friend with a huge hangover. One good ingredient to have in a comedy like this is good character interaction between its leads and “The Hangover” manages to deliver this in spades. Phil, Stu and Alan, as played by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, are the most unlikely trio you are likely to come across yet their chemistry together is quite strong. Coupled with a script full of clever one-liners and character sparring and you have some very down-to-Earth and real comedy as opposed to the highly contrived and manufactured comedy that could have so easily come out of a film like this, particularly with the situations these characters face: from trashing their Las Vegas villa in Caesar’s Palace, to stealing Mike Tyson’s pet tiger, to literally pulling out teeth, quickie-weddings to strippers, accidentally stealing eighty thousand dollars from a Chinese gangster and swindling a casino by counting cards at Black Jack (with an hilarious ‘Rain Man’ homage) to name just a few of the antics these guys get up to. What makes this film work above others in this genre is that the characters have a strong goal to achieve; the groom is missing and given their wild night, he could be anywhere and they have less than two days to get him back to his wedding. The film’s laughs, although stupid on the surface, have a deeper and clever resonance which is unexpected and welcome. All these ingredients make for one funny and entertaining ride of a movie once it gets going.

THE BAD: The first twenty minutes of the film are its weakest, largely as this introduction does not comfortably set up the type of comedy that is to come from the rest of the film. All of the introductions of the lead characters are awkward and somewhat unsympathetic, particularly Phil’s school teacher scene where he gets each of his students to pay ninety dollars for a supposed field trip which he then uses as his holiday fund to Vegas. Alan’s setup feels very contrived, particularly with the obligatory dropping of pants, leaving only Stu who has to deal with an over-the-top controlling wife who will not let him step out of place even to breath incorrectly. As a result, the chemistry you see from these characters later, and the film’s outlandish sequences in general, do not really catch on until after the three guys wake up the next morning and all hell breaks loose. It is also inconsistent with the finale where we see all four friends sporting a new lease on life, with Phil and Stu in particularly having a change of attitude towards their respective lives.

RATING: 7.5/10

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Moon Minis - The Hangover

Contrived but funny, The Hangover finds four friends heading out to Vegas for a bachelor party gone wrong. Waking up, they can't remember anything they did the night before after being slipped roofies on accident; plus, they're missing the husband-to-be and have to set out to find him. Wacky hijinks ensue, creative and also a little helter-skelter, and one can't help but think the writers wanted to put in whatever they could to spice up the film's bare premise.

But through successful personality performances by Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, the frat boy humor works most of the time. It may be farfetched, but it is an adventure that luckily does not drop off into boring exposition, constantly moving from one zany idea to another. A good comedy watch with lots of laughs, albeit stupid ones, that surprisingly does not glorify binge drinking and instead focuses on the less pleasant effects of a blackout, The Hangover will eventually succumb to its own plot line - fun for a while but ultimately forgettable in the long run, as the laughs aren't strong enough to become quotable, and though the events of the plot are original, the intent behind them is not.

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Last updated: 2010-01-17 08:03:50 by user01

The Hangover

‘From the director of Old School‘– if you advertise your movie as this, it is enough to prevent me from watching it. I absolutely hated that movie; it is one of the worst I have ever seen. To the exception of the scenes containing bricks attatched to male organs and a streaking scene involving Will Ferrell, the jokes in that movie were neither memorable nor funny, since they tried too hard to get a laugh out of us. That is why I had strong doubts about this film, especially since it was advertised as another raunchy comedy filled with gratuitous nudity and unsubtle humour. And now that I’ve seen it, is it as bad as I expected? No, because The Hangover is not only a much bigger improvement from Old School – especially because of the fact that it is written by completely different people – but it is also not the silly film it is advertised as. It is much different. It is a film we don’t get very often these days because it mixes comedy with several genres, all at once, whether it be mystery, thriller, crime and/or noir.

As Doug (Justin Bartha) and Tracy (Sasha Berrese) are about to get married in two days, his three best friends, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zak Galifianakis) decide to travel to Vegas for a buck’s night party. The next day, however, each one of them wakes up with a hangover – as you would expect – and without a single idea as to what happened to them the previous night. They find not only their hotel room trashed but that the groom, Justin, is missing. Within the 24 hours they have left, Phil, Stu and Alan must not only try to find Justin but also to try to find out what the hell happened to them during their wild night out.

It might be safe to say that The Hangover may possibly be one of the most entertaining films of this year. It just gets funnier and funnier with each joke it delivers. And rather than throwing them in for the sake of laughs, many of the film’s jokes serve a particular purpose to the film’s unpredictable storyline. And as each twist gets more intense, so do the jokes, which is what makes them work so well with their cringe-worthy nature. If Brüno had you gasping over its jokes, The Hangover will have you doing the same, but to a point where you begin to feel exhausted – but in a good way in a good way, of course. The film just cannot help force you to watch itself take one intense and unexpected step after the other.

If you can suspend your disbelief at some of the events that occur in the film, you will find yourself having a lot of fun. Definitely one of the best comedies to have came out in a while.

Signing off.

Last updated: 2011-05-05 08:24:44 by Maxie

The Hangover — 10

So I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I sat down. I knew there would be some funny parts, I never expected to walk out with my sides splitting and still laughing through all the pain that was inflicted upon me from laughter alone.

Heres the plot. A dudes getting married so he wants to spend the night in Vegas and have fun. Well they have a party, but no one remembers what happens, they just wake up in their room with things like chickens, tigers, benches hanging from the ceiling, a bowling alley made out of Champaign bottles and a baby. There is literally so much detail here it’s not even funny. But they wake up to find the guy who’s supposed to get married not there. Now they have to find him within 2 days because that’s when the weddings being held.

Its insane. Especially when you find out where he was. That is literally the best part in the movie. I would never have thought to look there for him, it was insane! I don’t know quite how to put it or where to start in this film. It’s pure genius!

From the crazy soon-to-be-brother-in-law to the crazy Chinese guy, to Mike Tyson, to the tiger, to a masterbating baby to oh god, its insane I cannot mention everything that happened in this movie. GO SEE IT!

That’s my final word SEE THIS MOVIE!

Base Score = 10
+2 for making me hurt from laughing so hard
+1 for the soon-to-be-brother-in-law
+1 for where the groom was
+1 for great acting all around
-1 for some really strange choices in music
=14/10

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Last updated: 2010-01-12 02:04:36 by Tolll

THE HANGOVER

The Hangover is a comedy about 3 guys who plan a big night in Vegas for their friend who is about to get married and things get so out of hand that they can’t remember anything the next day.  That certainly explains the apt title of the film.  Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis provide plenty of laughs as the 3 guys.  It’s directed by the same director of Old School, and while you can see the similarities, this one certainly pushes the envelope a lot farther.
The film has breastfeeding, oral sex, baby-simulated masturbation (just take my word for it), and you even see a couple of penises.  Yet the movie doesn’t come off as distasteful as most comedies that go for that kind of stuff.  The 3 guys are pretty likeable and you really find yourself rooting for them to piece things together and figure out what happened the night before.  The groom is missing and they are trying desperately to locate him in time for his wedding.  So you do see that they have some morals (at least for each other) and care about not screwing up their buddy’s big day.
While most of the events that occur might seem pretty outlandish, there are a lot of laughs from things you definitely haven’t seen before in other comedies.  The various characters that pop in and out are all pretty interesting too, such as Mike Tyson.  (Who thought I’d see two movies with Mike Tyson in one month?)  Make sure to stay for the credits which actually show stills of everything that really did happen the night before.  The results are pretty eye-popping so don’t miss it.

Recommendations: The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Se7en , 25th Hour

http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-philadelphia/danny-porcaro

The Hangover

The Hangover enjoys box office success and in general, receives quite astounding reviews. I thought it must have been overrated, but then I found out what’s so good about it.

The poster is definitely not an attraction point for me. It seems like one of them boy flicks centre around stupid jokes that I find disturbing to laugh at but as I’ve said before, sometimes you can’t judge a movie by its poster.

Doug (Justin Bartha), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Allen (Zach Galifianakis) and Stu (Ed Helms) head for Vegas for Doug’s bachelor party two days before his wedding. They’re hoping for a night to rememeber but in the moring, they wake up in a wrecked hotel suite with absolutely no recollection on what happened the night before. There’s a tiger in the bathroom, baby in the closet, Stu has lost a tooth and the worst part, the groom-to-be is missing!

The boys has to locate Doug before things get messier. They start to retrace last night’s scenes with the little of whatever they can recall. One piece of information leads to another. As the picture gets clearer, you won’t belive what the boys were up to!

I would say this is probably guy’s version of Sex and The City. It revolves around the guys and their crazy moment in Vegas. I wonder if it would be the kind of bachelor party most guys secretly wish for, without the blacking out situation of course.  We know guys can go insanely high and wild when they get together, doing things like a bunch of jackasses. However in this movie we see that despite their craziness, they are really decent guys. Besides, you should really watch to find out what they did on that “forgotten” night. The boys are ridiculously funny!

Usually I won’t want to watch a guy movie for second time, but if anyone asked me to rewatch this, i’ll jump at it.

Mel says: 8/10

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The Hangover (2009)

The greatest night of your lives just happened but you can’t remember  a thing. This is how badly that sucks.
The main plot follows four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a  bachelor party,only to wake up the next morning not remembering a thing  and missing the groom, whose wedding is scheduled to occur the next day.  The three friends that are left over try to track down the groom  through asking questions and finding more and more clues to hopefully  finding the groom in time for the wedding.

The great thing in the movie is we do not see what happens that night  we are either told or we just wonder. That is what gives this film the  full mystery and kept me guessing throughout. The absurdity of the  situation is backed by raunchy behavior that could’ve spiraled out of  control, but thankfully doesn’t.

The trailers totally fooled me into thinking that this was another  frat boy movie that was made for 17 year old or possibly even younger.  For this movie however, that is not the case. The comedy is more  sophisticated and more adulta and surprisingly not too sexed up.The  screenplay is very clever and hilarious and it has the right actors to  deliver the lines.

This movie was directed by Todd Phillips who is also known for Old  School and Road Trip, and a lot of the similarity’s are shown. However  this films comedy seems more mature than both, and is more likely to be  more of a classic because of its ways not too become too raunchy.

The performances from this cast is great as well. The cast may not be  so big named but they are very well-picked for each role and all do  great. The one I was most surprised by was Ed Helms, of The Office fame,  does really step out of his shadow from The Office and really does  shine, and proves he can act in a big time movie. The other funny thing  about the cast is that the cameos from people such as Heather Graham and  Mike Tyson were all shown just to add on to the story and show their  charm, and I highly respected that.

Their were however some parts that I had a problem with. I didn’t  enjoy how they would just show an ass or a penis shot just for the sake  of humor. But more of that nervous humor that doesn’t shock me anymore  with just seeing a penis. Yeah its raunchy but not funny nor shocking  any longer.

This film is hilarious from start to end. Although there were some  forced laughs I thought the performances are great and each star  delivers on a great and clever script. It is better and also in a way  smarter than Old School.

9/10=Full Pricee!!!

life has its own ways of working out<br />
visit my movie review site at www.dtmmr.wordpress.com Feel Free to comment or request any movies at any time! :)

The Hangover

For some reason I missed this when it was released in theaters last year and it has taken me up until now to get it from Netflix. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this picture, that is unless you count the one blogger that ripped it a new one for not giving the females anything to do. I’ll address that in a bit.
When I did my “2009 Movie Awards” post back in January, one reader commented, on my other blog, that this film should have won for best comedy. Now, the rules for the awards are that it has to be watched and reviewed during the year. Having said that, I can see how she would think that, and I can say that The Hangover will be a strong favorite for a couple of awards this year.
So, what do we have here? A film about guys headed to Vegas for a bachelor party and things somehow get so far out of hand that they end up having to have madcap adventures. This is comedy gold, people.
When the film started, I was thinking that maybe it was going to be a bit on the overrated side. It just didn’t seem like it was going to be that funny, then we meet Bradley Cooper’s character, and all hell breaks loose! Cooper is more or less the star of the film. I know some people will say that it is Zach Galifianakis that steals the show, but Cooper is both over the top and the glue that keeps things together at the same time.
The supporting cast is pretty good, too, but I can’t mention them without giving a nod to Ken Jeong. Talk about a show stealer. This guy is on the screen for maybe 10 minutes, tops, but you’ll remember those 10 minutes…partially becuse he’s naked for the first couple, but when he returns, his character is such a hoot, that you can’t help but crack u laughing each time he speaks.
Mike Tyson makes an unexpected cameo appearance. I’m still scratching my head about that one, and why he has a tiger that these guys just seemed to be able to walk off his property with, but I’ll suspend my disbelief on that one. Tyson plays himself, but at the same time he goes a bit overboard and has fun with the character. I sot of wish he would have had more screentime, but then again, this isn’t his film, so the brief time he got was enough.
There are 3 women to speak of in this picture. Sasha Barrese, who plays the bride to be, Rachael Harris, who is Ed Helms’  cold-hearted, overbearing, bitchy girlfriend, and Heather Graham, a warm, caring, single mother stripper/escort. All these women turn out great performances, and have nothing to be ashamed of. Could they have had more screentime? Sure, but this is a film about guys on a bachelor party weekend, so no they didn’t need anymore time than they got. Although, I wouldn’t have minded more of Sasha in a bikini or Heather Graham scenes.
As I mentioned before, some blogger said that these women’s roles were nothing more than a joke. To me this is a joke. I mean, if you know anything about this film before you watch it, then you know that there is no reason to expect to see some drama heavy, weepy, chick stuff. This is not a chick flick! These women didn’t complain when they took the roles, so why should anyone else try to raise a fuss?
*AHEM* Now that I’m off my soapbox, I do have a couple of complaints about this film. The first is that it is never really said how Bradley Cooper ended up in the hospital. I mean they show it in the final shot ,but we, the audience, never see it, and the snapshot montage doesn’t show what happened. Enquiring minds want to know. My other complaint has to do with the high-speed tux delivery. Seriously, if they can get their tuxes delivered in the middle of the freeway like that (it actually reminded me of that old Spy Hunter arcade game where you had to catch up with a truck to get new weapons and stuff while going hundreds of miles per hour), then why couldn’t they have changed on the freeway? I don’t know, it just seems like if they were in that big of s rush, every second would have counted, especially since they had to take the groom to the hospital after leaving and forgetting him on the roof where he got severely sunburned. That actually brings me to another point. He wasn’t handcuffed or anything, so other than the initial hangover, he should have been able to get up and head back down to the room or something, so why did he stay on the roof and end up having to go to his wedding looking like a lobster?
Yes, questions abound, but these aren’t enough to make for an unpleasant experience with this film. The Hangover is one of those films that comes along and sweeps everyone off their feet with how well it is made and how funny it is. There is no drama in this picture to speak of, except for a confrontation at the wedding. We get a bit of action and the comedy isn’t overpowering. I strongly recommend this to anyone, except those of you feminists out there who will get bent out of shape because the women are “allegedly” underrepresented in a film about a bachelor party.

http://thankyounetflix.wordpress.com/

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