Milestone films only come along a few times in a generation. And when a comedy, especially one rated “R,” achieves the same success at the summer box office as the big-budget action sequels, you might have something very special on your hands. Movie buffs can argue all day long over which films are the quintessential representatives of their specific genres. For instance, the nod for best sports comedy can ping pong between Caddyshack and Major League depending on whom you talk to. Also, the battle for most hilarious parody can be won by just about any Mel Brooks film or Airplane. But when it comes to a single man’s last night of ultimate debauchery, “the one” of the group has always been 1984’s Bachelor Party starring Tom Hanks. Well 25 years later, there is finally a new Neo.
Doug Billings (Justin Bartha, National Treasure) is getting married and his best friends, Phil (Bradley Cooper, Wedding Crashers) and Stu (Ed Helms, “The Office”) have the incredibly original idea of taking him to Las Vegas for his bachelor party. Along with Doug’s future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis, The Comedians of Comedy) the foursome tries to redefine the definition of the word “party.” However, this monumental night comes with equally awe-inspiring consequences as Phil, Stu, and Alan awake in their dismantled hotel suite with zero recollection of the past night’s events. Oh and one more thing, the groom is missing.
With The Hangover, director Todd Phillips scores his biggest success since Old School in 2003. Only this time he was able to pull off the same kind of hilarity with much lesser known actors. Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis are all fine comedic actors in their own right, but let’s face it; they are no Ferrell, Wilson, and Vaughn. So instead of character driven scenes, The Hangover is fueled by reactions to absurd scenarios. Cooper and Helms convincingly portray the insanity of the situations happening around them. When the characters are more shocked than the audience, it helps to reign in some of the more far-fetched absurdities. At first glance, Galifianakis’ oddball, savant-like character seems to be of the more contrived variety, but anyone who is familiar with his brand of comedy will just see Zach being Zach.
This film’s script is very funny and well written. Although some of the sight gags fell a little flat as it becomes more and more formidable to shock today’s audiences. Also, there are not a lot of moments were your lungs are completely void of oxygen, but overall The Hangover keeps the viewer laughing throughout the entire film, especially the very rewarding ending.
Just like Bachelor Party, The Hangover will probably be that film in a dad’s DVD collection that they just can’t wait to share with their son when they hit the right age. Unfortunately, the right age will always be 2 or 3 years too soon for mom.
Story: 8.5
Acting: 8.0
Writing: 8.0
Captivation: 8.5
Replay Value: 9.0
Total = 8.4
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