It's Funny Because He's Fat

The Hangover

Release: 06.05.09
Rated R
1 hour, 40 minutes


See It, Take a Friend, Buy the DVD!




On the verge of his wedding Doug (Justin Bartha, National Treasure) is taken on a bachelor party extravaganza by his two best friends, Phil (Bradley Cooper, Wedding Crashers) and Stu (Ed Helms, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay), with his fiance's brother Alan (Zack Galifianakis, What Happens in Vegas) in tow. After a toast atop Caesar's Palace, the wolfpack awakens in their villa the next morning minus one: the groom-to-be. With no recollection of their insane night, the trio begins piecing together the clues which sends them on an even crazier manhunt.

I walked into The Hangover with fairly low expectations. The trailers suggested that director Todd Phillips would have another hit on the scale of Old School. Even so, I knew if I got too excited I ran the risk of being let down. That's when I realized:

I thought the goat in Drag Me to Hell was the greatest animal moment I'd see all year, then I saw a tiger tearing through a Mercedes like it was catnip.

I thought Ray Liotta's Detective Harrison in Observe and Report was the most dickish cop I'd see all year, then I saw Rob Riggle (Step Brothers) and Cleo King (Pineapple Express) play officers Franklin and Garden. In tha face!

I thought Lou Ferrigno in I Love You, Man would be the best muscle-bound cameo of the year, and then I saw Mike Tyson.

I thought Ling Bai's Ria in Crank: High Voltage was the craziest Asian character I'd see all year, then I saw Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong, Role Models).

I thought Julianna Guill's breasteses in Friday the 13th were the best pair of boobage I'd see all year, and they still are (Sadly, one great boob does not a pair make).

I thought Seth Rogen's Color Me Badd duds in Observe and Report were the worst outfit I'd see all year, then I saw Alan's white jeans and satchel.

I thought Odette Yustman's tighty-whitey cameltoe in the Unborn would be unmatched in 2009, then I saw Alan in a jock strap.

I thought Karl Urban's McCoy in Star Trek would be the most memorable doctor in 2009, but Matt Walsh (Old School) came damn close to unseating him.

I thought Harry Connick, Jr's mountain-man beard in New in Town was the most impressive facial hair of the year, then I saw Alan's bushy flavor-saver.

I thought Liam Neeson laid down the most severe ass-whooping of the year in Taken, then I watched Mr. Chow wield a crowbar like nobody's business.

I thought J.K. Simmons in I Love You, Man would be the best father figure with the fewest lines of the year, but then I saw Jeffrey Tambor (Hellboy) and he has him beat.

I thought Watchmen's Patrick Wilson and Malin Akerman would have the hottest sex in a hovering superhero vehicle in 2009; then I...sorry, it wasn't THAT crazy a movie!

I could keep this up all day, but the gist is that The Hangover excelled beyond my expectations. Is it better than Old School? Let's not get crazy. The main difference between Old School and this is that the trio of buddies in the former carried the movie with very little help from their supporting cast. The Hangover accomplishes a similar level of hilarity due largely to the efforts of its entire cast. That said, you will leave the theater with a newfound respect for Zack Galifianakis (North Carolina REPRESENT!).

The Money Shot
In a sea of middling summer movies, you could waste your money on far worse fare. If you wisely choose the only adult comedy at the box office, be certain to sit through the credits for the slideshow of the night they all forgot.