An Epic Comedy

Rating: 9/10 (28 May 2013)

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless there is a Hollywood film crew there to capture it. What was supposed to be a bachelor party turned into a race against time to find the groom. The Hangover is a unique kind of comedy that is one of a kind. It is easy to say this movie was the best the first time thru but is still funny every time I watch. The crazy antics portrayed in this movie are hysterical and have nonstop laughter. From that awkward scene in the beginning with Doug and Allan till the pictures during the end credits, I laughed at every joke and almost all of them hit dead on. The plot to The Hangover is simple. Doug is getting married so three friends take him to Vegas for a weekend they will never forget, or remember. They have a drink and the next thing they know three of them wake up in a destroyed hotel room, Doug missing, a baby, and a tiger in the bathroom. Chaos then ensues from there as they try to piece together the night and find Doug before the wedding. Let's start with the characters. Allen is the lovable idiot who says and does stupid things but is the clown of the movie. A lot of the comedy comes from him and he nails it. His stupid comments bring a nice chuckle and his actions bring stomach aching laughter. No spoilers bit most of the misfortune is his fault and the other two have to deal with his stupidity. Allan is easily the best character in the story and the fan favorite. Then there is Stu, now I hate Stu. There I said it. He is a dentist who is whipped by his girlfriend and all he does throughout the movie is yell, be obnoxious, and be a Debbie downer. I may hate his character and may not be a big fan of Ed Helms, the actor, but his role meshed into the movie perfectly. The movie needed a man like that in this situation and he played as the voice of reason and a maniac at the same time. He is kind of a jerk but at the same time funny. Watching him and Allan butt heads was hysterical. Stu says, "You are literally too stupid to insult." "Thank you." Says Allan. It is little things like that which made the movie even better. Like I said, I don't like Stu but at least he had one of, if not the funniest, moment in the entire movie. That of course is the scene when he plays the piano singing his song. Then we come to Phil. Bradley Cooper is fantastic in this movie. He plays the cool and handsome guy who tries to keep things under control and deal with the situation. From his first scene he sets the tone for his character. Watch the movie and if you pick upon it you will know what I mean. Phil is a great character who fits well into the story as the guy who can laugh at the situation but still understand how serious it is. Stu is an extreme and Allan is beyond that but Phil is in the middle and he is very entertaining to boot. The movie opens with him on the phone explaining the situation and the mess they were in was funny because it made me think how they got there. It made me want to see what happened and made me invested in the movie. The Hangover is a comedy but it is a different type of comedy that works so well. You laugh but at the same time it has a strong story and a great script. You are along for the ride with these three and you want to find where Doug is. It is exciting and the twists and turns are something you see in a drama and not so much a comedy. The story was so well written and kept the audience interested in the movie while rolling on the floor in laughter at the same time. To that I say touché to the director and writers. There was a major flaw in the movie and that, my friends, is Chow. Now I know your reaction and people think Chow was hilarious and possibly the best part of the movie but I disagree. Chow is a good character who needed to be in the movie and play his part but he was so over the top. He tried so hard to be funny and at times he was funny and other times I thought it was forced. His voice and his demeanor annoyed me. When he rolls up the window making weird noises I couldn't laugh because I thought it was way too ridiculous. I will give him credit because he has one of the most interesting and funny entrances into a series that I can think of. I like the character Chow, I like his role in the movie, I like how he wasn't over used, I just thought he tried to hard to be something more than what he needed to be. Overall, The Hangover is possibly the funniest movie I have ever seen. Dumb and Dumber was the funniest until I saw this. I think Dumb and Dumber was funnier but I liked this better. Problem solved. I liked Tysons cameo and when he sang Phil Collins, In the Air Tonight, I think I cried. This movie wasn't only funny but fun at the same time. I liked piecing together the events from the previous night and finding out where Doug was. Really good actors, great characters, an amazing script, basic but strong plot, endless funny moments, a high re-watch rate, but a little bit of over acting at times gives The Hangover the WillyT Seal of Approval.