A Good Time

Rating: 8/10 (18 January 2010)

"The Hangover" is a fun movie. It's consistently entertaining, even when a few of its jokes fall flat. The plot is predictable, the characters are familiar, and the film says nothing. Still, it works as an enjoyable movie to sit down to after a long day.
The plot is simple. Doug is getting married, so his two best friends and brother-in-law-to-be take him to Las Vegas for a weekend of hard liquor, strippers, and gambling. Things escalate quickly when Phil and Stu (Doug's friends) wake up in their hotel room with Doug's brother-in-law, a tiger, a baby, and an assortment of random odds and ends. The only thing missing is Doug.
"The Hangover" tells the story of the men's quest for Doug; they need to find and recover him before the time of his wedding. The plot doesn't matter all that much; it's more of an excuse to put in an endless flow of gags. Fortunately, the gags work, and so does the movie. It never tries to be poignant or PC, and it has a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments. Accusations of racism, sexism, and homophobia seem a little out-of-place; all three issues are treated in intentionally absurd fashion.
All three of the main actors give good comedic performances, and the script clips along smoothly. This is not a 'great' movie, but it doesn't try to be.