One of the Most Realistic Vegas Movies Ever

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2012)

No offense to Seth Rogen, Johan Hill, Paul Rudd, Will Farrell, et al, but what a refreshing sight it was to see a buddy/bromance movie without them starring in it. The guys, especially Galifianakis, in The Hangover all could hold their own and crack me up. Each had their own depth, each was interesting, though somewhat clichéd, and each I rooted for, despite their downfalls. What could've been the same ole, same ole bachelor party in Vegas movie turned out surprisingly original, funny, and at times, a suspenseful mystery. Three guy friends (and a future brother-in-law) head off to Vegas for the said bachelor romp two days prior to the groom, Doug's wedding. After a night they did forget, and loosing Doug, they must put the pieces together to find him and return him to LA and his bride. Along the way, they, of course, encounter the kooky characters you would expect from this type of comedy, as well as, a rooster, a tiger and Tyson, oh my. Being over-hyped prior to its release had me worried, as did the Tyson cameo, but both the movie and the former boxer delivered, tenfold. Even the movie, itself, was well shot. Vegas is shown as it really is: consistent construction – though they were as updated as they could be, still some unfinished projects in the film, such as Westgate at Planet Hollywood, have already been completed. Still, it was the most realistic footage of Vegas I've seen. Sure, it had some stock shots, but mostly it was real. All the men were hilarious, and it was nice they were given depth. But the bearded third wheel, Alan, really stood out with trueness and sympathy. Instantly one of my all-time favorite Vegas movies and I could see this becoming a future cult classic.