The big summer comedies roll out in force this weekend, and The Hangover leads the list. You've more than likely seen a ton of promotion for this night gone wrong in Vegas comedy, and today it finally lands in theaters.
The Hangover is the story of four, 30 ish year old guys that run off to Las Vegas for a bachelor party the weekend before one of them gets married. These guys are all life long friends that have remained great such through life's ups and downs. So they set off to Vegas for one last blast. As you may have figured out, things go horribly wrong in Sin City. The four end up with every imaginable problem. They lose the groom, one loses a tooth, and a long series of unexplainable events takes place.
Trouble too, none of them can remember a thing about the night the groom vanishes. And they spend the next two days trying to find him and piece it all together. They meet some strange characters along the way, and find themselves getting in even more trouble during their search. Is it all's well the ends well? That's the whole deal in The Hangover.
First up. Lots of really bad language, and some totally "Borat"type of humor here. Drug abuse, and plenty of drinking to last a lifetime. There is also some very inappropriate behavior and a few instances of bad decision making by the movie makers themselves where some scenes made it into the final cut, that don't make it a better movie just a more sophomoric one. I wouldn't recommend kids see The Hangover, but they're not supposed to. This isn't Animal House dealing with college kids or high school kids gone awry. It's "grown up" guys heading off to Vegas so it's not as relateable for younger fans. In short it's kind of a "adult sophomoric" flick.
But I will say, there are some very funny moments in this movie. Maybe you have to see this movie when you're in the state of mind to laugh a lot. Some of The Hangover works like a charm, when others fall flat. It hits and misses many times. And to its credit, The Hangover understands when it's wearing out its welcome and ends before you start to squirm in your seat. When this movie says all it can say, it goes away and that's a good decision.
The Hangover. It's not ever going to show at the Cannes Film Festival, but that's okay too. In this climate of tough economic times, maybe we need a silly, senseless release of laughter once in a while. It's still funny to watch goofy guys do goofy things. It's been that way since The 3 Stooges, and more thank likely will remain that way for the next 50 years. See The Hangover with fun people. Leave the sticks in the mud's at home.
Cinematic art? No. Silly Fun? Yes.
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1 comment:
Thanks for letting this middle-age woman feel less guilty for laughing out loud in the theater a few times during this one. I agree 100% with your review. Zach G.(sorry-don't want to google his name to get it right and come back to this post) really steals the movie. But I liked him when he had a brief talk show on VH1.
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