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 In cinemas now [MA15+]
Director: Todd Phillips
Runtime: 100mins
The apprehension felt when discovering that a majority of American audiences had already lapped up The Hangover like thirsty dogs on a hot day should not be shoved into the corner, like one of those ‘silly gut feelings.’ Instead, it should be heeded.
They say you can pay for having taste, but in this case, having some may prove recession friendly. The Hangover doesn’t pull up short of many that have walked through the desert before it – and by desert I mean Las Vegas, not desert in the allegorical sense. The writing overall is funny, with a few killer lines that are sure to be bandied about for a good couple of months. Father of the bride, Sid (Jeffrey Tambor of Arrested Development fame), offers some touching advice to the groom: "Remember what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Except for herpes. That shit’ll come back with you." Indeed, Sid.
If the majority of actors in the film could bring something back after an acting lesson, the flimsy premise of the film and the plot holes would seem less obvious. Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to be married, read: get shit-faced in Vegas and only possibly turn up to said wedding. We’ve seen this one before, kids. ‘Dougie’, dubbed so by his pathetic dentist friend, Stu (Ed Helms), sets off to Vegas with his best buddies (Bradley Cooper as Phil) and his brother in law, Alan (Zach Galifianakis). The first three are easy to map: Justin Bartha is worse than Pinocchio, but better than Keanu; Bradley Cooper flashes those baby blues like a hungry hooker who’s eaten nothing but roadkill for a week; and Ed Helms acts like a bigger baby than the baby in the film. Heather Graham is foxy but greatly underused. Her lines consist of reactions, rather than an action or thought of her own. Unfortunately there’s very little chance this was conscious, as it is when watching a Kevin Smith film, or more recently a Seth Rogen vehicle.
Slow, oddball Alan, who supposedly always messes up, does what is possibly the worst thing for the film: accidentally Roofies his buddies. Perhaps if he hadn’t, the viewer would have been treated to the funniest parts of the film, which are relegated to the closing credits. Add to this the tentative racial stereotypes (seriously, Mr Chow?) and the fact that none of the actors say anything whacked out with an ounce of conviction, it’s plain the film lacks some serious man-tackle.
Thou shalt not see The Hangover, lest it result in nausea, a headache, and vomiting. Oh, all right. The average cinemagoer will still find it funny, but it brings nothing fresh to the dude-com genre, except a few throwaway lines and a shockingly likeable Mike Tyson cameo.
**½
KATIA NIZIC
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