Beat the heat with a hilarious 'Hangover'
This is one hangover you won't mind experiencing.
Published July 7, 2009
Moving into the sweltering summer months, people are looking for ways to stay cool. Ice cream is a good choice. Lemonade too. Or you could do what I do and hole yourself up in a nice, air-conditioned basement. Consequently, you don't see a lot of friends when you're holed up in a basement, so maybe a movie might be a better choice. Hey, and I've got the perfect one for you: "The Hangover."
Four guys decide to go to Las Vegas to celebrate a bachelor party. And just when you expect the craziness to begin, the movie jumps forward to the next morning. The amazing hotel room they stayed in for the night has been completely trashed: Half-finished alcohol containers litter the floor, a mystery woman tiptoes out the door and a tiger inhabits the bathroom.
Oh yeah, and the groom is missing and doesn't have his cell phone with him. It's up to the three supporting characters to find their friend and get him back before his wedding begins. To do that, they'll have to retrace last night's steps or what they can remember of them.
Although the plot is not the greatest prose ever penned, it's really just a vehicle for the hilarity that ensues. Normally relegated to second string support staff, Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis are forced into leading roles that they pull off brilliantly. It's nice to see the "funny friend" actors shine in a more prominent role.
One of the biggest compliments I can give "The Hangover" is the trailer doesn't betray the movie. It seems more and more comedies are wasting all their funniest lines and moments on a 30-second TV ad, but "The Hangover" seems to be a return to form of showing the good stuff in the trailer, but leaving your biggest laughs for the theater.
Lots of things are explained over the course of the movie: the baby, why the mattress is impaled on a statue, the mystery woman's identity, the police car and of course, the tiger. Whether they cut it for time, it's a bit frustrating that not everything is given a reason. "Where'd the chicken come from, and why is that chair burned through?" you might ask. You'll never find out.
But this small frustration can't hold down what is a perfect summer comedy. Great cameos by Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Riggle and Mike Tyson, an oddly-placed, yet natural and hilarious song by Ed Helms and an homage to "Tommy Boy" (if you remember the deer scene, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about) round out what is an excellent film.
One thing to note is the copious amount of swearing, though it all feels pretty natural. I know if I lost my friend in a big, strange city and had no way to contact him, I'd be tossing a few f-bombs myself. Although not as common, there is some nudity, mostly during the end credits. Stay for the credits. They show what actually transpired that night.
Although you won't be seeing any Academy Award nominations for "The Hangover," it certainly deserves your money. I can't think of a better way to beat the heat. Just make sure everyone's accounted for before you leave the theater. You don't want to have to spend the next day searching for them. Trust me.