Film review: The Hangover
BY GRAEME TUCKETT
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Here's the set up. Three guys wake up in a suite of a Vegas hotel. They remember checking in, they remember dropping a few Jagerbombs on the roof, and they remember what they are there for their best friend's stag night.
But the best friend is missing, there's a very big cat in the dunny, and someone's going to have to pick up the tab. Great.
It's a simple, by the numbers, and sturdy little chassis that will hold pretty much any nonsense the scriptwriters might pile on to it.
Throw in the pretty lazy plot device of having all the boys take spiked drinks the night before, so that none of them will ever be able to remember what happened or where they were, and The Hangover becomes a perfect excuse for a decent series of sketches and gags.
And that's really all this film is: a sketch comedy show, with every scene based around an incident that three deliriously drunk young fullas could conceivably have pulled off late at night in Vegas.
Steal a police car? Check. Rip off a Chinese gangster? Check. Steal a tiger? Check. Marry a hooker? Hell, why not? Every other "drunk in Vegas" comedy including a very great Simpsons episode has got away with it.
So, is The Hangover a tired, lazy, and massively derivative movie? Yep, in spades. But, it is also a hugely funny film. And for that, I'm grateful, because we haven't seen a decent comedy in ages.
Sure the story is a complete cop out. But the dialogue is flat-out wonderful, the performances are committed to the point of personal endangerment, and the direction is brisk, visually inventive, and occasionally downright bold.
In the leads, pretty boys Justin Bartha (National Treasure)and Bradley Cooper (The Wedding Crashers) are taking up most of the space in the preview, but it is Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis both Comedy Central regulars who really give this film some serious comedy chops.
The Hangover is never going to win any Oscars: It features a couple of cringe-inducing stereotypes, it reduces Heather Graham to a one-note bit part, and the last third feels like it was edited by the cleaner, but, at its best, this is one of the better mainstream American comedies in years.
If you're not easily offended that R16 is well earned then get along and enjoy it.
The Hangover
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham
Time: 100 minutes
Rated: R16
Trailer: Flicks.co.nz
* What did you think of The Hangover? Post your comments below.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Oldest First
@ P.G # 20
The only thing I can think of to say to you is LIGHTEN UP. You don't like the movie? Fine. But to use a sentence like "I don't know what the world is coming to' is just a little bit lame. Couldn't you guess that you wouldn't have enjoyed it from the ads. It was pretty obvious to me that this movie was about a group of guys that go away, get massively drunk and then get in to a whole heap of trouble. Suuuuuurely you would have been able to see simply from that, that it wasn't going to be you're sort of film. Now you're $15 worse off and wondering what the world is coming to. I feel bad for you.
I can't believe what this world is coming to. A movie about drunk men, getting 4 out of 5 stars for a review? And people think it's great? I guess if that's all it takes to make somebody laugh the comedy must be cheap. Also in response to Barnes #10 not all blokes believe it's funny to get drunk and do crazy things or think this movie is funny, so I do take offense to you stereotyping this as a BLOKE movie.
A great film. Sure the plots a real cliche, but the acting is superb and the situations they find themselves in hilarious. It has stages of boringness but for the most part you will find yourself laughing out loud. Go see it!
I havent seen the movie yet but very interested thanks to these comments
Saw this movie last night (on a date with my wife), she laughed more than me, but damn, this movie is great - loved it...
Particularly good characters and gags (story line is a bit ho-hum), and the final editing was probably hurried.
Only thing I felt was unresolved was what the father in law thought about his car...
What a moronic, sad, unfunny, distasteful load of junk. A baby masturbating? The naked bum of an old, old man, little kids using tasers on the "stars"? Give me a break, even the teenagers sitting around me were not amused by the above. As a movie buff I detest rubbish, it was very obvious they were reaching a long, long way for laughs. Vegas looked good.
Best laugh out loud comedy I've seen in ages!!! In repsonse to comment #4 from Genesis about it being a 'blokes'' movie' I took my partner & she found it as funny as I did - maybe try watching superbad see how ya like that =) roflmao
This has to be the funniest movie l have seen in years yes l was the one laughing out loud, my partner was nearly hidding under the seat.
Would watch it again in a heat beat
Ive not laughed all the way through a film since Anchorman&Borat (bruno could be the next). This film is pure gold..
Im shokced at the comment I quote 'Sorry, but a naked Chinese man jumping out of a boot just isn't humour in my opinion'.. Are you mad, I was in Stitches son!
In the words of the mighty Mr Chow Toodalooooo mutha fcukaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa LMAO
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oh no. The laugh police are in town. Shame on you for making a silly movie about drunk men. Should have been a period drama or maybe something to do with Nazis, they're popular at the moment......