"I'm not supposed to be within 200 feet of a school … or a Chuck E. Cheese."
I'm not sure if it's because blockbusters like "Transformers 2" have bombed harder than Carlos Mencia at a Rotary Club meeting or because our standards of politeness in cinema have faded or because rollicking, frat-house-type flicks have always thrived in summertime, but all the talk around the proverbial film watercooler of late has centered around "The Hangover."
Director Todd Phillips has put together a movie that isn't exactly treading new ground. Flicks like "Bachelor Party Vegas" (featuring a not-of-this-world Diora Baird) and "Very Bad Things" have pretty much captured the idea of the rite-of-passage journey to Sin City for debauchery, mayhem and illegality. So from that standpoint, and Phillips's directorial background, "The Hangover" plays out pretty much how you would expect it to. After all, here's a guy who has directed "Old School," "Road Trip", "Frat House" and "School for Scoundrels." Basically, you can throw these avant-garde pieces into a blender, push mix on high and what's left over is "The Hangover."
The quintessential Joe Average, Justin Bartha, plays Doug, the groom—who appears in the movie for roughly 20 minutes. Bradley Cooper is on hand as the best man, Phil ("Jesus, he's like a gremlin. Comes with instructions and shit."), in a who-the-hell-is-this-actor sort of role, but hell … here's a guy who got to fondle Scarlett Johansson in "He's Not That Into You," so any other progress in his career at this point is pretty much gravy. Bartha and Cooper were ho-hum casting choices, but rounding out the foursome with SNL alum Ed Helms as Stu ("I look like a nerdy hillbilly!") and frighteningly quirky Zach Galifianakis as Alan ("No, it's a satchel. Indiana Jones has one.") were inspired and ideal decisions. Helms was tremendous as a bust-out-of-his-shell dentist in a disturbing relationship, while Galifianakis—an NC State alumnus, by the way—is perfect in the role of the slightly demented, hysterical, physical-humor-excelling sidekick. The inclusions of Helms and Galifianakis save the quartet, making the dynamic work with the other duo. Throw in a neutered Short Round type of actor, some ill-administered roofies, a Mike Tyson cameo, a masturbating baby, a rooster, Heather Graham (we should all be so lucky as to wake up having "accidentally" married a hooker who looks like Heather Graham) and a tiger and … well … hilarity ensues.
Parts of the story were reminiscent of my recent trip to attend a wedding on Long Island. Later, reviewing the footage on my Flip video camera—which included lingering shots of a large, bald, Mafioso-type of dude with a cane and mirrored sunglasses as well as shaky footage of old ladies doing old-lady dances—brought back some memories I wasn't quite lucid enough to recall beforehand. But that's a story for another day.
So while you can pretty much use your imagination to predict how the plot unfolds and where the shock-factor scenes will appear, it still works through the sheer will and power of great laughs. A somewhat odd and uncomfortable side note would involve the fact that the audience during our viewing contained more than a few older couples, presumably out to see what all the fuss is about and be among the "cool kids." However, the biggest result was that some of the scenes became even more uncomfortable due to the presence of the 4 P.M. Dinner Club. Just be warned, old folks—this ain't "Cocoon 4: The Metamucil Years" being shown here.
The bottom line is that "The Hangover" wasn’t quite as funny as I would expecting, didn't cover any new ground and was more than slightly predictable in spots. Yet that being said, it worked, over and over and over again. Maybe people just want an escape in the middle of trying economic times. Perhaps stellar comedy will simply always be in style. Whatever the reason, "The Hangover" is more than worth your hard-earned beans.
Just don't bring Grandma. And stay away from Chuck E. Cheese beforehand.
The Hangover - Restricted Trailer - The best video clips are right here
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