The Hangover falls victim to having it’s best laughs in the trailer, something most comedies walk right into. Todd Phillips’ new film also lets a few gags run on too long and it features subplots that are unnecessary. Yet with all of this, it’s hard not to laugh at it when it hits the right notes with jokes or be swept up in the command Bradley Cooper has as the lead. Unlike the recent What Happens in Vegas, The Hangover has the ingredients needed to make a good and often hilarious comedy and actually takes place in Vegas for longer than five minutes. Dare I say, The Hangover is the best Vegas comedy and certainly is the best comedy of the year.
The list of positives starts with the script by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore who did impressive work on Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. This is certainly the better of the two as they treat this tale more like a detective story. In fact, the film opens in the middle of the narrative and retraces the steps to how we get to the predicament our leads are in now. Along the way the trio goes from place to place searching for clues on how to find their friend and along the way get into some hilarious shenanigans that involve the now infamous tiger, a chicken who comes out of nowhere, and best of all, a police car. Todd Phillips’ direction though is what keeps things afloat even if a joke or gag doesn’t belong or feels like it’s overstayed it’s welcome. While some of the antics these boys get into feel outlandish, Phillips’ reminds us that after all this is Vegas and that wild things can happen. As crazy as it is, I can buy that most of these events could plausibly happen, even the gag with the police car. Anyone who’s been to Vegas knows that you’re a different person there than you are in real life and Phillips understands this. Most of the time, he never lets things get too overblown or stupid unlike most comedies that would rather their heroes unwittingly be chased by firemen.
Speaking of the heroes, all of these gentlemen knock it out of the park. Zach Galifianakis steals the show as Tracy’s brother Alan. It’s been a good while since we’ve had a character that can guarantee laughs and Galifianakis is more than willing to answer the call. The man just has this delivery that’s been lacking in the ‘goofball’ character present in all these films. He’s crude, funny, and just plain out there and Galifianakis never plays him as annoying or obnoxious even if the characters treat him like that. Bradley Cooper is the ring leader of the group looking for their lost compadre and the man has a natural screen presence. This should be the first of many leading parts for Bradley who is subtle in his approach of playing the alpha male Phil (nice name by the way.) Ed Helms portrays “Dr. Douchebag” Stu Price as the reserved nerd of the group. Like the rest, he’s not unlikable and is the character that takes the most in terms of gags and jokes. Helms accepts it and plays it normal, never coming off like someone you’d want launch off the top of the MGM. Rounding out the leading four is Justin Bartha’s Doug who is the reason for the quartet being in Vegas. He’s unfortunately given the least to do even if his predicament is ironically hilarious. Bartha doesn’t do a bad job but he just doesn’t seem to really know what to do with the little he’s given.
The supporting cast is surprisingly good starting with Heather Graham. Her character Jade is a stripper that Stu “accidentally” marries and actually helps him learn more about himself. Yes, she still looks gorgeous and that’s likely why she was cast but she actually does a fine job as a stripper who, ironically, cares about Stu even after one night. Stu’s real girlfriend is played by Rachael Harris and the woman embodies the ultimate bitch like she did in her Quaker Oats commercials. If the intent is to hate this character more than life itself then Phillips, Harris and company should be applauded. Interestingly enough, Mike Tyson is the one who surprises the most. True his best bit in the film is in the trailer, but he doesn’t feel like he’s reading lines off of a cue card anywhere and actually feels natural. Basically there’s no need to cringe if he ever pops up in another film. Mike Epps though, is a different story. Between the loathe for Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Next Day Air, one could make the arguem
ent I have it out for him. I don’t but the man just chooses bad projects to be a part of. This film runs circles around any movie he’s done in the past few years but here he feels unnecessary.
One can’t blame Epps though, as the film adds a pointless plot about an Asian crime lord named Mr. Chow that the quartet supposedly stole $80,000 from. It’s here where the film showcases it’s biggest weakness. The Hangover has established that it’s already the most twisted Vegas story ever and even without the gay Asian crime lord it would have been a hilariously great film instead of just a hilariously good comedy. Instead Phillips, Lucas and Moore feel they have to get too obscure with this story and include something that feels it belongs in Miss March rather than a smarter, better film. While The Hangover is often times hilarious, there are some dead lulls in between the laughs. That’s not to say the audience won’t be crying with laughter at some spots but portions of the film continue without any laughter until the next big joke comes twenty minutes later. Thankfully though, the characters are interesting enough and the story is fun enough to keep the audience hungry. It’s still solid writing, but the film could have benefited from at least a chuckle here and there to whet the audience’s appetite for jokes.
The Hangover is the best comedy of the year and one that should improve on repeat viewings. It’s successes far outweigh it’s downfalls and the greatest thing about is how well the leads and Todd Phillips handle one of the wildest nights in Vegas. The dynamic between the quartet is the best in a comedy all year and the jokes, even if spoiled by the trailer, still kill every time they pounce up on screen. The script is a lot smarter than it has any right to be but some great comedy direction and great chemistry make this thing chug along. Will it be a comedy classic? Well, it certainly has the potential to become one but for now it should rest easy knowing it’s going to please those waiting for the first great comedy of the year.
