The Hangover takes us to a new, uncharted area: the day after the party. It’s so brilliant, conceptually. Where most frat/bachelor party flick tread, this one forgoes and instead takes the viewers into the shoes of the aftermath. There must be a logical explanation as to why this movie hasn’t been made before.
Four guys head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, fairly common way to set-up a film. Each has a unique persona. Phil (Bradley Cooper) is married, a schoolteacher, and in his spare time a full-on jerk to all. Stu (Ed Helms) is the whipped, cautious, lightweight. Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is the simple, confused, black sheep. Lastly, the groom to be is Doug (Justin Bartha). Naturally, after a hard night of partying, Doug goes missing. The other three, in a haze, try to retrace their steps, finding that they had a much wilder time than expected.
It seems like our cast is the Old School JV team, after all this is by the same director (Todd Phillips). There is even a cameo by the inappropriate wedding singer from the prior film. It’s a visually attractive film; showing no hint of it’s miniscule budget (by Hollywood summer standards). Lacking star power works in its favor and good chemistry is present between the central three.
The Hangover features near equal portions of male and female nudity; at the least the filmmakers were shooting for equality. Not a minute passes by without plenty of strong language. Clearly, it’s carries the R rating proudly while a more “wasted” home version should be expected. Unfortunately there is a high level of predictability that accompanies these factors. It’s always clear where the gag is headed, and before long that wears thin. One of the most aggravating aspects involves a baby introduced as a stowaway from their crazy night. The baby is pivotal in many of the better gags, and once out of the picture, the decline is evident.
For a movie taking place in a real world environment, these character teeter between realistic and stupid. When they supposedly have their act together, they seem even more susceptible to stupidity, which was something I couldn’t buy. For example, they take on the task of transporting a tiger in a manner that no sane person would—directly jeopardizing the condition of a Mercedes they are supposedly trying to protect. What ensues is predictable. They are supposed to be educated characters trying to cover up their actions, yet they invite the opportunity for more chaos.
At the halfway point I came to the realization that the reason why this film hasn’t been made, is because the raucous acts are actually funnier in progress. The audience is rewarded with snapshots at the end, but that only twists the knife. The poor writing still manages to leave unanswered questions. How did the money/purse get switched up? How did they steal a cop car? How did a naked mobster wind up in a trunk, let alone naked? Comedies aren’t supposed to be masterful in delivering a story, but with The Hangover it feels that a poor attempt was made to create a mystery. **
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