Fear and Laughter in Las Vegas

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2009)

More than once in my life, I have been accused of lacking a sense of humor, and lately I've been wondering if that's really the case, or if American comedy has become a sad case of settling for less (and just praising it more). I still don't get the fascination with Sacha Baron Cohen's outrageous publicity stunts masquerading as "films"; nor do I manage many laughs at the efforts of box-office juggernaut Judd Apatow. My decision to see "The Hangover" was influenced by two factors: the praise some casual acquaintances had given it; and a genuine lack of anything else interesting playing. With a Sunday-afternoon audience of probably 30 people, I found that the American comedic film--not to mention my sense of humor--was more than alive and well. Directed by Todd Phillips ("Road Trip"), "The Hangover" is the tale of four friends: cocky elementary-school teacher Phil (Bradley Cooper); meek, whipped dentist Stu ("Daily Show" correspondent Ed Helms); WASPy groom-to-be Doug (Justin Bartha); and his mentally deficient future brother-in-law, Alan (Zack Galifianakis), who trek to Las Vegas for Doug's bachelor party the night before he's set to tie the knot. After a rooftop Jagermeister toast that commences the night's activities, we flash forward to the next morning, with the friends' hotel suite in disarray (including a tiger holed up in the bathroom), and Doug nowhere to be found; while trying to remember what happened the night before, our trio of suddenly sober man-children embark on a quest that is as hilarious as it is unpredictable. Instead of a straightforward narrative where all the comedic beats are telegraphed in advance (such is the fate of most films of this sort; and the story is admittedly nothing new), John Lucas' and Scott Moore's screenplay mines the sort of surprise and revelation that marks a good mystery thriller (which the film could have easily been played for), transforming each punchline into an uproarious zinger as a result. One of the best films I've seen this year, "The Hangover" is also the funniest Hollywood comedy in ages.