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THE HANGOVER |
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I fully expected to walk out of "The
Hangover" completely hating it. To my surprise I didn't. That is not a ringing endorsement
but rather an admission that I did laugh several times - at least twice I
laughed out loud. Of course, any film that could make
Mike Tyson almost seem like a likeable character must have some merits. The
fact that he spoke more than two words was nearly heart stopping! |
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"The Hangover" is about four guys who
go to Las Vegas for the bachelor party of one - Doug (Justin Bartha). Phil
(Bradley Cooper) is the leader of the pack and a great dooms day preacher
against marriage, though he is married. Stu (Ed Helms) is the more reserved
one who has lied to his domineering lady friend a woman who makes Lorraine
Bobbitt seem tame. Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is the bride’s brother and
essentially along for the ride. The soon to be father-in-law, Sid
(Jeff Tambor) is a good guy and understands what the friend are to Vegas for
and loans them his classic Mercedes drop top. His final words of advice to
his future son-in-law were the Las Vegas tagline "What happens in Vegas,
Stays in Vegas!" As you can
guess everything imaginable and a few things unimaginable happen. When they arrive at Caesars Palace,
Phil convinces the guys to get a $4000/night villa instead of a regular
suite. This is put on Stu's credit card though he fears his gal pal will be
monitoring his charges. After settling in they go to the
roof of the hotel and drink a toast to what Phil describes as an
unforgettable evening. That was the last thing they remember because little
did they know Alan "enhanced" the drinks with a little extra boost. What he
thought was Ecstasy turned out to be something completely different” When they awaken the next morning
the villa is a wreck, there is an unexplained chicken prancing around, Stu is
missing a tooth and is married to a stripper/hooker. Phil has a hospital
wristband on from a visit to the ER. Mike Tyson's pet tiger is locked in the
bathroom. A mattress is missing and they are now in possession of a stolen
police car instead of the Benz. But more importantly Doug, the groom, is
missing. |
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The film basically is about them
retracing their steps to figure out what happened and where is Doug. In that
process they are tasered by the police whose car they stole, broadsided by a
gay Chinaman (Ken Jeong), count cards at the casino, babysit Stu's new wife's
baby. And create just as much mayhem as they did when they were drunk. "The Hangover" makes "Leaving Las Vegas"
look good. In it's own way it sends a message about drinking and drugs. But make no mistake; with tourism
down in Las Vegas, "The Hangover" is merely a glorified Las Vegas commercial
for visiting Vegas. The entire movie is product placement. "The Hangover" does have some very
funny moments and most are reserved for Zach Galifianakis who was also in
"What Happens in Vegas" in 2008. It is not difficult to see his likeness to the
late John Belushi. It would be proper to say he was a kinder dumber Bluto
(Belushi’s infamous character from "Animal House"). I found it unbelievable that Mike
Tyson was able to string together a few lines in a humorous fashion. Heather
Graham as the stripper/hooker is adorable and fun loving. The rest of the
cast is merely appropriate. "The Hangover" is an amusing sideshow
for those who missed getting tickets to "UP", "Star Trek", "Terminator", and "Night at
the Museum". It is a good alternative that will leave a few laughing just
before they book a trip to Vegas. --GEOFFREY BURTON
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