Should You See “The Hangover”?

Yes.

It can be hard to tell what movies in this semi new, gross out, shock comedy genre are worth seeing. Some truly are funny and possess clever writing. Others are just  an onslaught of dirty jokes for the sake of being dirty and seemingly, a lot of male nudity. Maybe all of the movies in this genre, arguably helmed by Judd Apatow, are worth renting, definitely worth catching on TV. At the very least, you’ll laugh. But you want at least the hope that a movie will actually be good when you make the effort of going to the movie theater and paying to see it.

Most of the aspects of The Hangover are recycled. The idea of a crazy Las Vegas vacation has been done, the idea of a bachelor party gone awry has been done, the idea of a group of guys that are deliciously toxic together has been done. But somehow, writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore managed to combine these elements with new spins and ingredients: little bit of action, little bit of romance, healthy dose of crime, and a main character bordering on Rainman status but more disturbing. What makes the film kinda great is this incredible cast of characters that only a few places like Las Vegas would allow to realistically coexist: strippers, escorts, gay Asian crime bosses, thug drug dealers, tough cops, and Mike Tyson. And his tiger. Oh, yeah, and an infant. The movie keeps you on a roller coaster of adrenaline - what can these guys do next? - and yet never gives you the feeling that these events are happening merely to shock. As crazy as it sounds, the shockers weave together into an actual story.

Most importantly, the cast of Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha (though the bulk of the film is the former three) work famously together. They are a believable group of guy friends unlike what we usually see in this film. They are raunchy, boyish, adventurous, and mischievous, and yet we see redeeming, moral qualities we’re not used to seeing in gross-out comedies. The love for their friend, Doug, (Justin Bartha) is undying, and at times of true test, they choose to take the higher road and do what’s right. Their wild sides seem to be all talk. You assume after a few events that they’re going to either beat the crap out of savant Alan (Galifianakis) or leave him on the side of the road, but they actually manage compassion. And it might be the fact that these characters are so human that makes the outrageous stuff that happens to them that much funnier.

Three Men and a Baby: Galifianakis, Cooper, and Helms in The Hangover.

June 26th, 2009 by Courtney Iseman | Posted in Hollywood | (0)