Saturday, June 6, 2009

The Hangover - Movie Review


THE HANGOVER (***1/2) - Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Mike Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Epps, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris and Rob Riggle.
Directed by Todd Phillips.

There weren't any gutbusters, but this is probably the funniest movie I've seen since Pineapple Express. And I think I would've laughed more if the trailer hadn't given away so much.

One of the clever conceits of this movie is that it's all about the sidekicks. Whenever you see a rom-com starring, say, Matthew McConaughey or Patrick Dempsey, and he has three best friends, you could see them being played by these three. And these three are the stars rather than the sidekicks. Bradley Cooper plays Phil, the married-but-wishes-he-could-womanize type (think Vince Vaughn from Old School), Ed Helms plays the henpecked geek (think Daniel Stern from City Slickers), and Zach Galifianakis plays the "special" brother of the bride (can't think of a comparison; it's a uniquely brave and funny performance).

These best men are taking their buddy Doug (National Treasure's Justin Bartha) out for a wild night in Las Vegas, but they wake up the next morning with Doug missing and no idea what happened the night before. They then have to retrace their steps with what clues they can find.

Phil: Was I in the hospital last night?
Stu: Am I missing a tooth?
Alan: Guys. there's a tiger in the bathroom!

Coulda done without seeing the 90-year-old man's butt though.

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