The 'Citizen Kane' of modern comedies.

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2010)

With all due respect to Judd Apatow and his outrageous filmography, The Hangover is probably the best comedy of the decade, maybe the best since The Big Lebowski. What is so good about this film that it was heaped upon with critical and box office acclaim, not to mention a Golden Globe for Best Comedy? Of course there are terrific one-liners and other jokes you will be quoting long after seeing the movie, but there is also the reason for how innovative of a comedy this actually is.
A very common plot of many modern comedies involves people getting drunk, going to Las Vegas, letting completely loose before a wedding; these are plot elements that have become so simple and common it is almost impossible to realize just how serious and dangerous they can be. Although the film makers will probably deny this, there is a definite part of this movie that is anti-drug/alcohol. This film shows the true nature of the Vegas lifestyle: crazy, wild and totally unpredictable in terms of what situations you can get yourself into. Certainly no one will see this as something to glean from the movie, but it certainly separates this comedy from all the others.
Not to mention the story line of this movie and how it uses the flashback to bring us along. This is a plot technique usually reserved for dramas, thrillers, more 'serious' films. Yet director Todd Phillips and writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore make it work because they take their time setting up the situations, pacing at just the right speed, never punching home the jokes and set-ups like a sitcom. Through a series of interviews and searching, the guys slowly start to unravel that crazy night they have no memory of. This makes it funnier because we learn at the same time the characters do so their reactions are funnier.
Of course none of this would be possible without the terrific cast led by the talented Bradley Cooper, proving he can play a multidimensional character. His support group is Ed Helm of The Office, very funny as a whipped dentist and newcomer Zach Galifianakis as the slow but very funny Alan. The groom in distress is Justin Bartha, very strong as Doug and other supporting actors include Heather Graham as a stripper with a heart of gold, Ken Jeong as a mysteriously creepy Asian crime boss, Jeffrey Tambor as the all-understanding father-in-law and Mike Tyson as... himself.
With all innovative plot techniques and subtle messages aside, this is a very funny movie. The writing as a strong dark tone to it which makes you laugh but also think about these characters and their motivation. Unlike films that just go for the big laugh like Wedding Crashers, Old School and Anchorman, well this film does too. But it does it in such a fresh and exciting way for comedies, the standard has now been raised.