The Hangover: Part III (2013)

1/5

The Hangover Part III is simply awful. The movie reunites the "wolfpack" once again (Cooper, Helms, Galifianakis), only this time without any roofies or hangovers. Instead, Marshall (Goodman) has kidnapped them and sent them on a mission to find the wolfpack-adjacent international criminal Leslie Chow (Jeong). What ensues is not so much hilarity as it is vulgarity. Director Todd Phillips confuses humor with shock, using the winding plot and the $15 million paychecks of otherwise reputable actors to gross us out in whatever way possible. The first two were funny; this one is nauseating. The pre-credit epilogue is truly gag-worthy, and I remain thankful that they never found any pictures explaining how they got in that particular predicament. The story lines, the performances, and the directing were never the trilogy's strong suit, so what does this one have to offer us? A few uncomfortable laughs in an otherwise filthy mess. Not even Melissa McCarthy can save this garbage. Ugh.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951261/

The Hangover Part II (2011)

3/5

The Hangover Part II has been much maligned for being exactly the same as the first one. And yes, the plot structure is almost identical. But even after the novelty of the mystery framework wears off, it's just as eminently watchable. The movie remains hilarious because it delivers memorable characters in ridiculous, over-the-top scenarios. It was funny the first time and it's still funny the second time. As far as raunchy wedding comedies go, I thought Bridesmaids was a better movie overall, but this series loves to go to places you never imagined, way over the lines you were hoping it wouldn't cross, and it does so in an inviting, charismatic way. I can't wait to watch the third one.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1411697/

The Hangover (2009)

4/5

The Hangover is a raunchy comedy full of great one-liners and hilarious situations. The plot follows three groomsmen waking up in the aftermath of a Vegas bachelor party with a killer hangover, a missing groom, and some mild retrograde amnesia. For the next 24 hours, they attempt to sober up, figure out what happened, and return with the groom in time for his wedding. It's a funny, vapid movie with lots of laughs and no message. But it's fun and entertaining, so go out and see it as soon as you can.

Technically, the movie is pretty impressive for a comedy. The framework of a mystery to progress the plot was new and inventive for the genre and kept things interesting. Seeing the smoking chair and clucking chicken lets the audience's mind run wild with possibilities that might even be funnier than the writers would have come up with. The fact that they're never explained, even at the film's end, opens up possibilities for some pretty awesome DVD extras if they choose to. The cinematography was usually pretty humdrum, but they were occasionally spiced up by truly awesome shots that made the movie stand out from the pack. The editing was accomplished, with relatively few unnecessary scenes and some magnificent surprise laughs. All in all, this is a fantastic comedy that attempts something new and succeeds. Reward them for their success--go see this movie.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/