What happened in Vegas?

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2010)

Parties, people getting drunk, embarrassing moments: all classic components of American comedy, all done to death. And yet The Hangover managed to become one of the big hits of summer 2009, with some critics and viewers even praising it as "the funniest movie in years". While that definition is entirely arbitrary (and used a bit too often), it is true that Todd Phillips' latest achievement manages the near impossible: to take an overly familiar topic and turn it into an unpredictable, hilarious ride.
What's it all about then? Well, there's a guy named Doug (Justin Bartha) who's getting married, and as per American (comedy) tradition his friends want to make sure his last days of "freedom" are spent in the best way. Hence a trip to Vegas - where else? - in the company of fun-loving school teacher Phil (Bradley Cooper), uptight dentist Stu (Ed Helms, aka Andy from the US version of The Office) and the bride's "weird" brother Alan (stand-up comedian Zach Galifianakis), all prepared for a night of fun they will never forget. Until the next morning, that is: the hotel room is a mess, Stu's missing a tooth, there's a tiger in the bathroom and someone left a baby in the closet. Oh yeah, and Doug has disappeared...
From there on, The Hangover turns into a comedic whodunit, with the guys trying to retrace their steps so that the wedding can actually happen. Cue encounters with the police (ouch), a stripper (Heather Graham on top form), a naked Chinese gangster (Ken Jeong) and Mike Tyson. All this is handled expertly by Phillips, working from a script by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (the writers of Four Christmases; don't ask) that brings him back to the more "juvenile" territory of Road Trip and Old School after the big-screen "revisit" of Strasky & Hutch. The difference is this time greater care has been put into the writing, with a great combination of clever plot structure and endearing characterizations. Sure, the three leads are essentially comedy types (especially Alan, who at times channels John Belushi), but they manage to remain real, believable and, most importantly, relatable.
Nevertheless, there are a few minor defects that prevent the movie from being the outright comedic masterpiece some claim it to be. For one thing, it's very much a guy movie, with the female characters (including Graham) reduced to scenery-filling beauties or, as in the case of Stu's "sweetheart", annoyances. Also, the film doesn't really go all the way with the madness, opting for a safe, hollow final-reel solution instead of the truly dark and insane material the premise - and the R-rating - could and would have allowed (think Scorsese's After Hours with more sex jokes).
But hey, why complain when most of the film is absolutely hilarious? The Cooper-Helms-Galifianakis trio is a genuinely adorable bunch of losers, and Phillips elicits laughs with all kinds of humor, both verbal ("What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except herpes.") and physical (all the bits with the tiger and/or the baby), by subverting some clichés - much like Reservoir Dogs was a heist movie without the actual heist, this film deals with the aftermath of a night we never see - and indulging others ("He's funny because he's fat" one character says of Alan, and he's got a point). Throw in a bunch of funny references (Star Trek's "I'm a doctor" gag is used brilliantly) and one of those absolute rarities in recent comedies (i.e. closing credits that aren't skippable), and you've got one hell of a fun, funny movie.