Review: The Hangover (2009)

[Homer Yen]

"The Hangover" - The Comedy Effects Linger
by Homer Yen
(c) 2009

If a tree falls and no one hears it, did it really fall?  Well, here's
another variation on that theme.  If a group of guys go to Vegas, do
some really bad things, and can't remember any of it, did it really
happen?  That's the funny premise of "The Hangover", which is a little
like "Memento" meets "Road Trip".  When our group of fun-loving guys
wake up from a what-must-have-been-an-incredible-night, they can't
remember a thing.  They don't even know where Doug is.  And, they need
Doug.

So, let's backtrack a little.  It was supposed to be just a simple
bachelor party for Doug (Justin Bartha).  Yup, two days before his
wedding, his best friends decide to take him out for a little fun in
Vegas.  His companions certainly seem harmless enough.  There's Phil
(Bradley Cooper), the most liberal of the bunch who proves that by
taking his students' field trip money for spending cash during their
trip.  There's Stu (Ed Helms), a milquetoast sap who will probably
never win an argument in his life.  And there's Alan (Zach
Galifianakis) who ably combines loser and dimwitted into one
character.  None of the characters are too over-the-top, and I suppose
that every guy knows people that are more-or-less like each of these
four.  Meanwhile, none of these actors are really well-known, which
allows the story to seem more real than if the foursome comprised Ben
Stiller-as-Doug, Matthew McConnaughey-as-Phil, Will Farrell-as-Stu,
and Jack Black-as-Alan.

Mike Tyson, in a cameo, sums it up pretty well when he says, "stupid
things happen when you are [beep] up."  How stupid do they get?  Well,
when the story really gets started, the men find themselves in their
hotel room after what-must-have-been-an-incredible-night.  They can't
remember a thing.  They don't even know where Doug is.  And, they need
Doug.

The three groomsmen do their best to retrace their steps to find Doug.
 As they put the pieces together, there's evidence of all manner of
craziness that has ensued.  Some of it you might expect from a Vegas
Road Trip, like the quickie marriage to a stripper.  But the tiger?
The visit to the hospital?  The missing tooth?  The naked Asian dude?
It's all pretty funny stuff.

Yet, in addition to the expected crass and raunchy humor, there's a
soul in this film.  In the sinful abyss that is Vegas, there exist
pockets of vibrancy.  No matter how absurd the set-up, we can't help
but like the stripper with a heart of gold (Heather Graham).  The men
have a chance to stretch beyond their means.  You get more than you'd
expect from a film like this.  It's like getting a natural blackjack,
which pays 3-to-2.

There was "Road Trip" for those in their 20s.  There was "Wild Hogs"
for those in their 50s.  And the 30-somethings answer back with "The
Hangover".  Maybe in the sequel, they'll answer the only question left
unexplained: where did the chicken come from?

Grade:	B+

S:	3 out of 3
L:	2 out of 3
V:	2 out of 3