A Fitting End to the Adventures of the Wolf Pack

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2014)

Who would've thought the surprise comedy hit of the summer of 2009 would go on to become a full-blown trilogy? It's a baffling prospect because each film became progressively less successful as the series continued until THE HANGOVER PART III found itself lucky to squeak by with enough domestic box office to recoup its budget. I loved the first film, and I wasn't as hard on the second one as most other people were. I was disappointed that the filmmakers felt the need to adhere so close (insultingly close) to the pattern of the first film in an effort to mimic its success for the second film, but I was happy to find it breaking away from the mold for the third and final film. Of course, by the time part three was released in 2013, most people had grown tired of the shtick and it was lucky that it didn't totally tank. The third adventure of the infamous Wolf Pack finds Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Doug (Justin Bartha) confronting Allen (Zach Galifianakis) about his reckless insanity and convincing him to enter a clinic to help him balance out. En route, they're hijacked by crime boss Marshall (John Goodman). You see, Leslie Chow stole millions of dollars worth of gold from Marshall and he believes the Wolf Pack is his best chance of finding him. Kidnapping Doug as collateral (because what's a HANGOVER movie if Doug's part of the team?), he gives the guys a deadline and tells them to bring him Chowor else.
Personally, I'm not sure what people hated so much about this movie. I actually liked it. It's a refreshing break from the formula of the first two and takes itself a little more seriously than the second film. Whereas the second movie was sort of a parody of the first movie, taking it to new extremes while rehashing a lot of the same gags with a wink to the audience and an oh-no-not-again vibe, THE HANGOVER PART III is more original and gives it's characters more to do than stumble from one clue to another. Ken Jeong's now iconic character of Leslie Chow has gone much farther than I ever anticipated he would as he's gone from an amusing addition to the first film to being the focal point of the final film. This means we get plenty more of his loud, obnoxious, flamboyant style. So, if Chow was your least favorite part of the previous films, you'll want to skip this one because we get plenty more. And, yes, you get the obligatory full frontal Jeong shot if you stick around too long after the end credits begin to roll. At this point, I think it's written into his contract. Chow must be a fan favorite; I can see them making a movie centered on him to keep the interest alive long enough to profit from the final film. It works well enough. I don't hate the Chow character and he's a little more toned down in PART III, going for more bizarre and threatening and less in-your-face loud.
John Goodman is a nice surprise as the villain, Marshall. He doesn't really have much to do beside yelling and threatening people. Goodman's good at that sort of thing, so he's a nice fit. Melissa McCarthy is on a roll right now, so she's got a minor part as a love interest for Allen. Yeah, you read that right. Honestly, I can't think of anyone else who could've played an odd enough character to match wits (or witlessness) with Allen. And then we have a bunch of returning cameos from the first movie. Director Todd Phillips tries to bring it all full circle with the Wolf Pack returning to where it all began and encountering familiar faces along the way. And he does it all with a fresh approach. I can appreciate that and I think that's why I enjoyed this movie so much more than most other people. The HANGOVER movies, at their best and worst, are redeemed in the interactions between the three buddies at the center of the adventures: Phil, Stu, and Allen. They've got a great chemistry and that's why, even at its lows, these movies are fun for me. Turning THE HANGOVER into a trilogy might not have been the best idea but it wasn't the worst and each movie has enough of it's own flavor to make them entertaining. THE HANGOVER PART III is a fine end to the adventures of the Wolf Pack and I think we can, at the very least, be glad this one didn't start with a bachelor party and roofies.