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Todd Phillips, director of Old School, returned to the Box Office big leagues after a series of duds (Starsky & Hutch, School For Scoundrels) with a new comedy about a bachelor party that goes horribly, horribly wrong.
Two days before his wedding, Doug (aka. that annoying "is he gay or just feminine" sidekick guy from National Treasure) and his three buddies drive to Vegas for a blow-out night they will never forget.
But
when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning with pounding
headaches, a trashed hotel suite, missing teeth, missing pants, missing
groom - and a tiger in the toilet - it soon becomes apparent they can't
remember a thing.
With no clue of what happened and little time
to spare, the trio must attempt to retrace their bad decisions from the
night before in order to figure out where things went wrong, and
get Doug back in time for his wedding.
Look, The Hangover ain't perfect - in fact, it's probably a tad over rated by most punters - but there is a lot of fun to be had here. While
it's not exactly the "second coming of comedy genius" that many claim
it to be - it is pretty damn hard not to get swept up in the momentum and
energy of it all.
There are some classic moments on offer, but
there is something about promoting it's cast of "B-Team" actors to lead
roles that never quites sits right.
Cooper and Helms are excellent, no doubt about it (in fact Bradley Cooper is now playing the lead in the A-Team movie), but at this point in time they have a certain lack of... how the French say... "something"... about them.
It's kind of like asking fans of Scrubs to watch episodes containing only "B-Team" characters Ted, The Janitor and The Todd. Yes
- they may have their moments... but do they really have the charm and
star quality to steer the entire ship? Hmmm, perhaps not.
That said, The Hangover is responsible for introducing the mainstream world to one of the most unique comedic actors to hit the screen in years - Zach Galifianakis.
A veteran on the American stand-up comedy scene (the "comedian's comedian" if you will) the uber-bearded Galifianakis is captivating
here. Every single subtle nuance of his comic timing lures you in, he
is the "Anti - Jack Black" and shines in every flicker of screen time.
A genuinely fun distraction for anyone who has ever promised themselves "to never drink again" - but more than anything else - The Hangover is the birthplace of Zach Galifianakis, cinematic comedy history's next big thing. Blu Ray Special Features
I ventured into my local JB HiFi earlier this week and was positively blown away by the sheer number of variations The Hangover
is being pushed out in. The Blu Ray version is always your safest best,
with the best looking versions of both the Theatrical and "Extended
Cut" as well as a bevy of "Blu Ray Only" content including
Picture-In-Commentary, BD Live (which I still haven't figured out yet)
and a truly awesome edited package of swearing footage.
However, you can't go past the full rendition of In The Air Tonight by Mike Tyson... it is magical!
Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 90%
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