At the movies, there is no such thing as a tame bachelor party. "The Hangover", the latest film from director Todd Phillips ("Old School"; "Starsky & Hutch"), takes us on a familiar journey through the aftermath of a hellish bachelor party. The premise is simple and not especially novel: Four guys go on a quick excursion to Vegas on the eve of the wedding, hoping to have a little fun before the groom commences married life. There is Doug (Justin Bartha), the groom-to-be, Phil (Bradley Cooper), a thirtysomething school teacher bored with his daily routine, Stu (Ed Helms), a dentist whose every move is scrutinized by his uptight girlfriend, and Allen (Zach Galifianakis), Doug's socially awkward future brother-in-law. The four men go to Vegas and purchase the $4, 200 villa suite at Caesar's Palace. Flash forward to the next morning and the suite is trashed. There is a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, and a bed on the roof. Phil, Stu, and Allen awake in a complete state of confusion, unable to recall the events of the previous night, unable to find the groom. They spend the day trying to find Doug, and this search is filled with a cavalcade of drugs, sex, and violence. Yup, it's a typical bachelor party at the movies.
"The Hangover" is an exercise in extreme vulgarity. The humor is hit and miss. When the jokes hit their target, "The Hangover" provides some very big laughs. When they miss, the result is simply cringe-inducing. The film is at its best when it mines humor from the personalities of the characters. When the movie aims for mere shock value, however, the jokes fall flat. For example, the situation involving Allen taking care of a baby is funny because of Allen's clueless nature, while the sight gag of an old man's naked bottom is simply unnecessary. Fortunately, "The Hangover" is more hit than miss, and the rapport of the actors is enough to mask most of the film's flaws.
Bradley Cooper is an actor who has always been underutilized, but "The Hangover" provides him with a vehicle to showcase his talent. Cooper's character is not as inherently funny as Stu and Allen, but Cooper keeps things rolling. He runs the show, and the film wouldn't work without Bradley Cooper's charm. Ed Helms, a consistently funny actor and comedian whose credits include TV's "The Daily Show" and "The Office", is hilarious, perfectly capturing the essence of a guy who is a little hesitant to go along for the ride. Zach Galifianakis is the film's go-to guy for laughs, and Galifianakis delivers every step of the way. His work here should serve as a career breakthrough. The only cast member who gets the short end of the stick is Justin Bartha, whose role as the groom is a somewhat thankless one. Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis have perect chemistry, and they manage to make an absolutely ridiculous premise slightly believable. Emphasis on slightly.
In the career of director Todd Phillips, "The Hangover" ranks somewhere in the middle. This film is not quite as funny as "Old School" and "Starsky and Hutch", but it is infinitely better than "Road Trip". As far as raunchy comedies are concerned, "The Hangover" is a step below "Superbad", "Knocked Up", and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Still, 'The Hangover" is rollicking fun, taking the audience on an entertaining ride that keeps getting crazier.
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