Synopsis: In The Hangover, a wild bachelor party in Vegas goes horribly wrong and the four men involved must spend the next day trying to figure out what happened, and whose baby was left in their room.
Release Date: June 5, 2009 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Comedy
Film Review
Production
The Hangover may be one of the most ridiculous and over the top movies ever made, and it is hilarious. The Hangover plays out in the format of, “what happened last night? oh, that did” and just repeats from there. It is this structure that starts to wear on you as the film progresses but there are so many great laughs you just let it go and enjoy yourself.
Acting
Everyone else aside, The Hangover belongs to Zach Galifianakis and his performance as Alan. As the bumbling brother-in-law to be he teeters between a man who is simple to one who is downright out of his mind. The best lines of The Hangover are reserved for his character and the ways in which he mixes the physical comedy with his dialogue is spot on at all times. Galifianakis has brought to life a character that is incredibly animated and unpredictable and you cannot help but love him and everything he does, for better or worse.
Score and Soundtrack
There are a variety of music types in The Hangover and they are great songs, for the most part, but they do not always fit well with the action on screen. The music does little, if anything, to add to the action or circumstances at hand or lend a level of depth to any emotional response you may be feeling. It feels as if the songs are just there to supplement the lack of dialogue at a given time, or to slow down the pace until the next big comedic moment occurs, but in no way to add to anything specifically.
Chemistry
The chemistry between the four guys in The Hangover is effortless. They immediately click for the viewer on all levels and you can see the friendship dynamic immediately. With completely different personalities they complement each other perfectly and their banter, jokes, and flat out honesty is true to life.
Comedy Factor
What do you get if you pool together every outlandish, unbelievable, and downright side-splitting story about one night in Vegas? Laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. From the dialogue to the action to the wild antics of this group of guys there is no denying the vast level of comedy found in The Hangover. Not to mention how it uses Rain Man to its full advantage. Comedy indeed.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Todd Phillips
- Screenwriters: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
- Cast: Bradley Cooper (Phil Wenneck), Zach Galifianakis (Alan Garner), Heather Graham (Jade), Ed Helms (Stu Price)
- Justin Bartha (Doug Billings), Jeffrey Tambor (Sid Garner), Mike Tyson (Himself)
- Other Crew: Debra Neil-Fisher, Lawrence Sher, Bill Brzeski, Louise Mingenbach, Christophe Beck
- Country Of Origin: USA
