The Hangover (2009)

Todd Philips’ road trip comedy is something of a mystery that manages to possess much more of a complex plot than we’re led to believe by the trailers originally. In its heart it’s about four friends re-connecting for one wild weekend before the wedding of their friend Doug, all the while exploring four friends who are also getting in touch with a part of themselves they lost or will eventually lose when they get back home to domestic monotony. The four characters here are much more representations of the male such as Stu who is a delusional male whipped by his domineering wife anxious to break out of his confines. Alan is something of an erratic monster who isn’t a bad guy even if he’s done some truly perverted things. Doug is a man facing a big change in his life about to marry a wealthy woman who is also the girl of his dreams and presenting a life as a married man and possible father, while Phil is a man who refuses to let himself be toned down even though he’s a father and a husband.

Bradley Cooper steals the show here as a man who is not without shame whenever expressing his feelings to his friends about their lives because in some form he’s just looking out for them, and once he heads out on the road, he’s committed to re-claiming that male spirit that’s tying them all down. Zack Galafianackis is raucous and often unpredictable as the mentally disturbed Alan who attaches himself to the road trip thanks to Doug who feels obligated to include his soon to be brother in law, and he figures out his own identity while trying to figure out what happened the night of the bachelor party that got them in a world of trouble. This series of events leads to a confrontation with an Asian gangster, a kind hearted hooker, a womanizing wedding coordinator, and Mike Tyson.

The whole film revolves around the three principles searching for their friend Doug who went missing after the party. While I had my suspicions as to where this entire mystery was leading, the film ends up being a well rounded and often exciting little road trip flick where these guys who seemingly just want to have fun are presented with the responsibility of finding their friend to get him to his wedding in time–granted he’s actually alive. The chemistry between the three principles is quite good and their interplay along with the sharp writing makes for some truly memorable comedy moments including their confrontation with a nosey family in an elevator, and a funny meeting with a hotel clerk (as played by a deadpan Nathalie Fay) that manages to set the stages for the entire film while displaying the raw comic talents of all four men in the film. “The Hangover” is definitely destined to be a classic for the guys, and it kept me thoroughly entertained.

While Todd Philips wildly successful bromance road comedy does offer its fair share of laughs, the movie does tend to border on drama comedy. While the whole film is funny and raucous in some instances, “The Hangover” ends up becoming much more sentimental than you’d expect and often times I found myself wondering if this was intended as a comedy at all. Especially in the first thirty minutes which while interesting do not dole up anything remotely resembling laughter save for the occasional one-liner chucked by Zack Galafianackis and Bradley Cooper. “The Hangover” often times felt slightly derivative of “The Last Kiss,” a sort of character study in some ways that was more about four men getting in touch with their lost manhood than an actual bachelor party. We never even see the bachelor part until the climax.

Meanwhile most of the gags are pretty entertaining and manage to aptly suck up most of the story, but I just didn’t find the whole sub-plot involving the mysterious baby discovered at all funny. Though it’s played for chuckles to demonstrate the ineptitude of these men, often times it bordered on child cruelty and in any context, that’s not a source for laughter. Watching a baby scream in horror as man are smashing a car around it threatening to shoot everyone in the car is not something that will have me pissing in my pants with laughter. You have to appreciate a movie that goes for the throat, but there’s funny and there’s just plain mean-spirited.

Plus it was much too clunky to watch Phil barely pay notice to anything happening with the baby and suddenly find out he’s a loving dad by the climax who is attached to his son. That’s sloppy characterization. It just doesn’t fit my sensibilities to watch a baby be hit in the head, or left in a hot car, or be shown simulating masturbation and find it humorous. “The Hangover” falters in those respects bringing down an otherwise potentially excellent road comedy. In spite of some poorly crafted often cruel humor revolving around an abandoned baby, and a surprisingly sentimental tone, “The Hangover” mostly lives up to the hype with an interesting premise, some top notch writing and sharp performances from its mostly male cast. I can definitely understand why it was a humongous hit, but when all is said and done, once was enough for this partier.