Movie Review: "The Hangover"

Last night, a couple of friends and I went to see "The Hangover". By now, you've seen the previews, and I'm sure you've laughed at them. My biggest concern going in was that they'd wasted all of their big bullets on the previews and didn't leave anything as funny for the rest of the movie. Boy, was I wrong. It's gonna take a month or two for me to actually confirm this, but I left the theater last night thinking that "The Hangover" is the funniest movie I have ever seen. Let that marinate for a minute...




...ok, you ready to continue? Me too. It's hilarious. I'm not gonna bore you with any sort of plot description or anything, you know what it's about. Guys in Vegas for a bachelor party. 'Nuff said. The movie begins the morning of the wedding with the guys wondering what happened the night before. Then, it flashes back to the beginning of the trip to Las Vegas and hilarity (in great amounts) ensues from there. Even the moments that you know are coming, because they're shown in previews, are still funny because of the context in which they're presented. The characters are played perfectly by the guys who portray them. Ed Helms is great as Stu, an uptight dentist who worries a lot. Bradley Cooper plays Phil, a bored schoolteacher who yearns for the old days of having fun with his boys, with a cool that is perfect for the role. And Zach Galifianakis plays Alan, the bride's brother who only tags along because the groom-to-be (Doug) feels as if it'd be a kind gesture to include him on the trip. Alan's awkwardness and oblivious nature are nailed by Galifianakis, only adding to the written humor. The trio has a great chemistry and really play off one another well. You need to go see it...immediately. And please, ask me to go with you because I want to see it again. Just make sure you don't take a parent, grandparent, or uptight neighbor, because it's chock full of crude humor. Really funny crude humor, though. In a day and age where movie prices are sky-high and films themselves seem to be more hit-or-miss than ever, it's a great feeling when you leave the theater and feel satisfied with how you've spent the last two hours. "The Hangover" not only gave me that feeling of satisfaction...it made me want to stay in my seat for the next showing.

~~ Lank