Pretty much a composite of every wild,bachelor party story ever told;still very funny

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2009)

On a balls-out,let-it-all ride Bachelor party trip to Vegas,friends Stu(Ed Helms,unleashed at long last here to full comedic effect),Phil(Bradley Cooper,a career that's appeared out of nowhere to become money in the bank)and future in-law Alan(Zach Gallifinakis,in my mind the biggest scene thief of this show) run into one small problem after a night of inspired debauchery:the guest of honor,groom-to-be Doug(Justin Bartha,who's sorta there for the film)is missing. And now,three guys whose various poor or short-sighted judgments have left them disoriented and in some legal trouble,must combine their wits to go find their friend and future husband-to-be in an economy of time and an odd,sometimes disturbing set of clues left in wake to help them.
Director Todd Phillips,expanding upon the "bad boys being bad boys" formula that was modestly offered with star power to back it in Old School,now goes for a slightly more modest cast(from Will Ferrell,Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson to Helms,Bartha,Gallifinakis and Cooper)but a more ambitious,raunchier(if that can be believed)and adventurous story to make this largely funny,sometimes hard to believe comedy. A deft usage of actors in supporting roles--among them the now underused Heather Graham as a pleasant,bubbly single mom of infant,who just happens to be a stripper and escort;Ken Jeong as the wiry,foul-tempered and quite possibly gay Asian mobster who has it in for the heroes;Rachael Harris as Stu's brittle,domineering bitch of a girlfriend;and Mike Tyson as,get this,Mike Tyson--highlight this tour de force,and that's not even to mention the near cameos as some not-too-lightweight-themselves talents as Jeffrey Tambor(as the Bride and Alan's dad),Bryan Callen(as a thick-accented wedding chapel proprietor),Sasha Barresee(mostly in one-note fret mode as the unravelling bride-to-be),Mike Epps(as a discombobulated drug dealer),Rob Riggle(as a uniform cop,one of Vegas' NOT finest)and Cleo King(as his equally inept and cruel partner).
The summary line notes that this movie,as funny ands sometimes shocking(stay for the credits and try not to be caught at least a little off guard!)as this film is,at its core it is little more than a compendium of wild stories that guys have spun,whether based in truth or no,set around giving their buddies and/or enduring their last night of un-wedded fun. So while the originality of this particular movie isn't all that remarkable,the set-up,follow-through and denouement of it is! Good,raunchy,raucous fun for anyone(guys in particular)who appreciate good,solid immature tomfoolery before settling down and "becoming mature". Perfect film-going for summer!