Hangover III: Chowabunga!

Rating: 5/10 (11 June 2013)

The movie opens with Alan in the midst of transporting a giraffe in a trailer he is pulling. I don't need to elaborate that this trip does not end well. As the result of Alan's mishap we see the gang first appear together at a funeral for Alans father played by a scene stealing Jeffrey Tambor. The fact that the film starts at a funeral instead of a wedding is a not so subtle hint that this hangover will prove to be even darker than the first two. The introduction sequence ends with the gang driving Alan to a mental health spa after an intervention.
The film takes another tangent and the set up for the inciting incident comes from a gangster out of the past that kidnaps one of the gang and sending the wolf pack back into action to rescue their own. This is quite a bit different than the initial two films. There is not hangover and they didn't do anything wrong...yet. The gangster is played by John Goodman and there are not many actors that are such a sure thing as he is in any role. There is even a surprise character here from the past that while this may not have been the most creative plot, they were a stickler for detail and a lot of attention is paid to the details. if you keep your eyes open there are shout outs and homages throughout.
The movie here really focuses on Alan and Mr. Chow as not only the main characters, but really the only characters. Stu, Phil and Doug could have just been cardboard props for the movie and you would have saved a ton of money and lost very little in the way of acting. Ken Jeong, as Mr. Chow, absolutely steals the show. His character should have a place in all time best character anti hero. This film would not be watchable without Mr. Chow. he takes a film on life support and gives it a level up to a pretty decent movie. It's not a great film, it's a pretty decent movie. It's shot wonderfully, lit perfectly, great audio, decent to really good acting and enough plot twists and nostalgia to be worthwhile. Make sure you wait to watch the credits. It's a steal at redbox or the Dollar show and if you get your tickets at costco like I do it's a fair deal. Big screen is always best. Support the craft by seeing it in theaters and support the theaters by buying some concessions. Till Next time.
Todd at the Movies, on twitter for your entertainment