HK Neo Reviews: The Hangover

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2009)

Tagline: Most probably the funniest movie of the year
Review by Neo: It's been a long time coming, since I have encountered a genuine comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud at the cinemas. It is also been a while, since I can recall a Hollywood movie that actually got me laughing from start to finish. Nice shock and an excitement movie to finish off a hangover weekend on a Sunday Night. The trio (or foursome if you must include the one on the roof for the majority of the flick) performs in an almost faultless manner. All the more, the three cannot be more different, one is with serial player looks, one is just a dentist and the other is a brother in law who is just plain fat. So much so that the movie didn't seem like a movie, as the characters are simple and easy to relate to, as the audience goes along the ride with them, rather than simply sit and watch.
The movie goes like this: 4 guys go on a bachelor party two days just before the wedding. Basically the destination is Las Vegas and before you know it, they are on a rooftop not knowing that the drink they are about to cheers is actually drugged. And so, they woke up in the villa of Caesar hotel, with the following items, a baby in the wardrobe, a tiger in the toilet (yes, literally), a stripper as a wife and the most of all, they lost the groom. So begins the journey of the three who are totally wasted and do not remember a thing, as they stumble here and there to the line of finding a friend.
Usually flicks like these ones, the best jokes are already in the trailer, but somehow, Hangover, does not contain just a couple of laughs, but rather enough laughs to make your stomach burst. The fat guy (played by (Zach Galifianakis) is just so down to earth that it is funny and one of the best lines is certain the Caesar one. Basically he asks "so have Caesar actually lived in this palace?" Sure, it is a damn stupid question, but the audience can so feel that he is serious about it, that make it more funny than it should be. The guy with player looks (played by the guy Bradley Cooper, who got Scarlett Johansson on her knees in He is Just Not That in You) is cool and the way he interacts with others is just seamlessly fun to watch. Likewise, the film cannot be complete without the dentist (Ed Helms). The moment his tooth came out and married a stripper, he is just a stand down funny guy to endure.
You must praise the director (Todd Phillips) for the perfect comic timing; a film like this can so easily go the wrong track and go the route down the path of films like Hot Chick, but luckily the fun is more on the scale of American Pie or Kumar Castle flick. His focus on the characters and allows them to act and interact and play off each other as though they are really friends is really a joy to watch. Another examples, is the enjoyable cameo appearance by Heather Graham, who plays the stripper who married the dentist. Her line: "That is so Doug!" works even though she only just met them the night before. Now that's a sign of cinema magic.
All in all, Hangover is a joy to watch, a rare piece of cinematic gem, adding to the mixture of brilliant chemistry between the co-stars, the liveliness of nightlife in Vegas and evolution of down to earth comedy. It is a shame that not everyone will relates to the characters, but somehow, I got a feeling that most of good mates and I included embracing it. Coming off a trip from the wine district of Hunter Valley where me and my mates, tasted almost all the wines within the 9 wineries along the way. Hangover is really and is most probably the best comedy of 2009 and if you go in the cinemas with a relaxed mindset, I am sure that it will make you smile a little, laugh a little and enjoy life a little more  (Neo 2009)
I rate it 9/10

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