Madcap Zany Fun Movie

Rating: 7/10 (14 August 2009)

I did not really plan to watch this movie because I am not the type of guy who enjoys drinking alcohol. The poster was strange and the stars were unknowns. First impression was: Not Interested. However, the news came that this flick actually topped the summer box office Stateside. I heard a couple of radio DJs talk about how funny and cleverly plotted it was. I had some time to kill, so I was able to watch it.
"The Hangover" is about a stag party in Vegas which goes totally haywire. When they wake up wasted the next morning, their suite was thrashed, one finds that he has lost a tooth, there's a tiger in the bathroom, there's a baby in the closet, and worst of all, the groom is nowhere to be found. The three groomsmen needed to retrace the obviously wild night they had to find their friend and get him to the wedding on time.
It was very funny how the director went on to steer the audience into realizing what happened together with the characters, as we follow them through their madcap misadventures. As this is a movie, realism is thrown out of the window and our IQ should be checked at the door. You simply know those situations are out of this world, but it grabs our attention as we too want to know exactly what happened. There were potentially offensive subjects like police brutality and Asian racism, but we know these were done tongue-in-cheek, so we go along with the fun ride.
I have not seen these actors before. They are really the unlikeliest of gangs. I do not think people like them would flock together in real life. Bradley Cooper plays the mean alpha male. Ed Helms plays the nerdy straight-laced dentist. Zach Galifianakis plays the weirdo brother of the bride. Justin Bartha plays the groom. Their chemistry with each other and willingness to make fun of themselves adds to the success of this film.