The Hangover
Movie Review
"The Hangover"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: B
Rating: R
Released: Friday, June 5, 2009
Directed by:
Cast:
Todd Phillips scored a hit in 2003 with the raucous R-rated comedy "Old School," then for some reason moved to tamer waters for "Starsky & Hutch" and "School for Scoundrels," neither of which amounted to anything. Duly chastened, he now returns home with "The Hangover," a movie that's as gleefully dirty as "Old School," and maybe funnier.
It's a story of friendship, camaraderie, and alcohol. As such, it can only be set in Las Vegas. That is where Doug (Justin Bartha), who is getting married Sunday, is taken by his friends for an epic bachelor party: Phil (Bradley Cooper), a schoolteacher who hates his students almost as much as he hates being married, is the ringleader; Stu (Ed Helms), a wimpy dentist with a controlling shrew for a girlfriend, is the nervous nellie; Alan (Zach Galifianakis), Doug's soon-to-be brother-in-law, is the spacey, grubby, possibly mentally handicapped one who recalls Will Ferrell in "Old School" (which means he also recalls John Belushi in "Animal House").
The four embark on a night of revelry. The next morning, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up in their hotel suite with a tiger and a baby. There's no sign of Doug, the groom-to-be. And no one can remember anything that happened the night before.
[To read the rest of the review, please visit Cinematical.]
Grade: B
Rated R, pervasive harsh profanity and sexual references, a lot more male nudity than you'd expect, brief lady boobs, comic violence
1 hr., 40 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 14 comments
June 5, 2009 at 11:31 am
If Starsky and Hutch "never amounted to anything" (according to you), WHY did you give it a B-? Or is it another movie you've flip-flopped on, ala Juno?
June 5, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Three things, KXB:
1) Read the review rather than just relying on the letter grade. "Starsky & Hutch" reads more like a C+, really, and amply explains my feelings of "meh" about it.
2) That's beside the point anyway, since "neither of which amounted to anything" refers not to what *I* thought about the films but to what their impact has been. "Starsky & Hutch" made a decent amount of money but quickly thereafter vanished from the public consciousness. It has not endured the way "Old School" has.
3) I don't know what you're talking about with regard to flip-flopping on "Juno."
June 10, 2009 at 11:43 am
A buddy and I went to see The Hangover. Neither of us laughed once. I am baffled by the positive critical buzz about this movie.
June 11, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Eric, you sold me. I'm seeing The Hangover this weekend
June 13, 2009 at 11:37 am
I saw the movie last night and my sides are killing me because I'm still laughing. Blew away any comedy I've seen in years.
June 18, 2009 at 10:48 am
Zach Galifianakis made this show great! I can't believe it broke $100 in less than 10 days! It's funny, but Role Models is still more funny. I thought the cops, and the Asian guy were a little too over the top, but Eric points that out too well. I think a better main cast would have done the trick. Who likes Andy from the Office anyway?
June 19, 2009 at 10:41 am
"Who likes Andy from the Office anyway?"
Umm, me.
June 25, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Great review Eric. I thought it was very funny but I do agree with you that it might have been just as funny if they kept it somewhat realistic.
July 14, 2009 at 8:14 pm
We saw the film last night, and re Buckeye's comments, we could not agree more.
January 21, 2010 at 9:14 pm
@Buckeye - COMPLETELY agree.
When this movie won a GOLDEN GLOBE (!?!?!?!), I officially decided I hate most Americans.
Am I the only one here staring at a naked emperor?
This. Movie. Isn't. Funny.
Not even a little funny.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is funny.
The Office (American) is funny. (haha. Dwight is a treat, along with Ed Helms)
Andy SNL digital shorts are funny.
The Hangover. NOT FUNNY.
Holy crap. Today's America is made of the easiest ass-kissing, dependent-thinking audience in history.
January 21, 2010 at 9:15 pm
No.
When this movie won a Golden Globe, Golden Globes lost their meaning--what little meaning they had left.
Ludicrous.
January 21, 2010 at 10:18 pm
For the record, the Golden Globes are decided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association: people who cover entertainment for non-American publications. So while you're welcome to hate Americans for liking "The Hangover," you can't really blame them for its Golden Globe win.
January 22, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Okay. I hate them for making it the highest-grossing unfunny comedy of all time. I may love them for other things, but I hate them for this.
But mostly my hatred should be for the Hollywood FPA whores who likes nice hotels, expensive food and gifts more than meaningful discrimination.
Now there will--I can scarcely believe it--be a Hangover 2.
Now there will be more movies like Hangover. Many more.
The movie's title is sadly ironic.
February 15, 2010 at 11:55 am
I love slapstick, drunk humor as much as anybody, but I was more than a little disappointed by the hangover. The best part was Ken Jeong and other than him, no one else here was all that funny.