 |
|
|
|
| | | |
| MatchFlick Member Reviews |
view all movie information
Directed By
Todd Phillips
Written By:
Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Cast:
Bradley Cooper, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Mike Tyson, Rachael Harris, Matt Walsh, Ian Anthony Dale, Bryan Callen, Gillian Vigman, Rob Riggle, Dan Finnerty, Mitch Holleman, Sondra Currie, Casey Margolis, James Martin Kelly, Andrew Astor, David Hill, Nathalie Fay, Rusty Meyers, Michael A. Rizza, Britt Barrett, Michael A. Tessiero, Sasha Barrese, Sammy Fine, Heather Roop, Katerina Moutsatsou, Charlene Geisler, Keith Lyle
|
|
|
| |
The Hangover (2009)
 email this review to a friend
You'll need some Tylenol after this one.
The title of the new comedy from Todd Phillips (Old School) could use some caps, changing The Hangover to THE Hangover. This is the mother of them all, where three groomsmen hit Las Vegas only to wake up the next morning minus the groom and any memory of the previous night. With a few clues to guide them, they retrace their steps off the beaten path of the main drag, through quickie wedding chapels, casinos and the surrounding desert.
The cast breakdowns into the usual suspects-Phil (Bradley Cooper), a good-looking heel who despises his regular married life; Stu (Ed Helms), the nice guy who can't wait to get hitched, even if it is to a ball busting harpy of a girlfriend (played by Rachel Harris); and Alan (Zach Galifianakis), the lovable, but dim, future brother-in-law. Before the movie premiered, comedian Galifianakis lamented at a performance on how he seriously studied drama for years only to have his first big movie require that he be punched by a rapist. This observation pretty much sums up his role, as the jokes geared towards his character are just a constant pointing out of his less-than-average intelligence (think a more downplayed version of Steve Carell in The Legend of Ron Burgandy). He's the Faulknerian idiot man child of the group, and the physical abuse he suffers on their search seems almost sad, especially, and for no particular reason, at the hands of the aforementioned Mike Tyson. While the other two main characters have motivations for being there, but he's just along for a very rough ride, a whipping boy who takes his lumps with no understanding of why or how to defend himself.
While well-constructed, the movie is still just a more sophisticated raunch-fest with some stylish filmic techniques covering up the fact that it's a modern day Bachelor Party. The title sequence most conveys this, as it shows where the men are coming from and are ultimately destined, and where they play out their wild, adolescent fantasies (calm music plays over an idyllic sequence of wedding preparations, only to cut to a montage of the Vegas city scape scored to a more foreboding tune). The backwards story works, but much of the humor lacks the cleverness the movie itself seems to think it has. Oh, which wasted guy will marry the hooker this time? If you really need to know the answer to this mystery, then The Hangover is for you-otherwise, I would suggest missing this little outing.
email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
Sorry, you must be a member to add comments to reviews.
Join or Login. |
 | Krissy
Jul 6, 2009 5:52 PM
| |
| ok...so waiting for this to come on dvd it is. |
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS
|
