The Hangover

Director Todd Phillips' career has been all over the place, ranging from hilariously great (Old School) to completely terrible (School for Scoundrels) with a whole lot of mediocre mixed in (Starsky and Hutch, Roadtrip).  So it's hard to know what to expect going into one of his films.  But I would have to say that The Hangover is definitely closer to the hilarious side.

Three groomsmen, too cool for school dick Phil (Bradley Cooper), whipped, uptight dentist Stu (Ed Helms) and odd, possibly mentally deranged, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) take their soon to married friend Doug (Justin Bartha) to Las Vegas for one last night of fun before the wedding.  Only when they wake up in the morning they can't remember anything that happened, and Doug just happens to be missing, along with one of Stu's teeth.  But they've managed to pick up a baby, and a tiger, along the way.  They have to piece together what happened, find Doug and get back in time for the wedding.  All while coping with a wicked hangover.

The plot of The Hangover is not especially complex, or really even that interesting, but it gives the characters, and the actors, a lot of room to work.  They're put in situations that inevitably lead to humor.  They don't learn, or grow, but they are pretty dang funny.

It's nice to see actors that normally only get to work in supporting roles get a chance to shine.  Usually these three guys (Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis) are just comic relief, or a little side characters that isn't especially important.  I've been a fan of Bradley Cooper's since Alias and Kitchen Confidential.  He's perfectly cast in the role of a guy who really isn't all that likable.  If you met him in real life you'd probably think he was kind of a dick.  But really it's Helms and Galifianakis that steal the show.

Helms plays his character to his utmost, even going so far as to have a crown removed, leaving his gap-toothed grin.  He's the very picture of the uptight, straitlaced guy who when he's a little inebriated becomes a complete wild man.  His stress, energy and presence are the heart of the film.  But the biggest laughs belong to Zach Galifianakis.  He's completely unpredictable, taking chances that any sane person would never even go for.  It's a pretty bold performance that should hopefully get him work for years to come.  Make sure you stay through the credits to see the most shocking, and possibly hilarious part from Galifianakis.

It isn't just the main cast that bring the laughs though.  Jeffery Tambor, Heather Graham, Mike Epps and Rob Riggle are pretty hilarious in small parts.  Mike Tyson's cameo is just plain funny, and Ken Jeong may just be the funniest part of the entire movie, as he often is.

The Hangover isn't the smartest, most complex, or best movie in the world, but I sure had a good time with it.  So I'd recommend it for that, and for some great comedic performances, if you're not easily offended (it earns its R rating).

Grade: B

I wrote a review of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home less than a year ago, so instead of doing that again, I'm presenting a list of things that I learned from watching it for the umpteenth time.

• James T. Kirk can get ladies of anytime, anywhere.  It doesn't even matter what species.  The man is the James Bond of the stars.  So sorry, Dr. Gillian Taylor, even though you traveled into the future with Admiral Kirk, count on being tossed aside in time for the next movie.
• Kirk does not like Michelob.  In fact, he looks at it funny.  He's more of a Romulan ale sort of guy.
• Starfleet Academy is apparently still using Hueys to train their pilots in the 23rd century.  Or Sulu just messed around with them in his spare time.  Seems a bit dated, doesn't it?  Sort of like training modern soldiers to use weapons from the U.S. War of Independence.
• It's ok to change the past as long as it's for a good reason (like stealing whales to save the Earth), or if you aren't 100 percent certain that you are changing it (ahem, Scotty and the transparent aluminum).
• People will applaud when you assault someone on a public bus.  But only if the victim is playing obnoxious music on a boombox.
• People will notice if you walk around in a robe, swim with whales, and constantly call your friend Admiral.
• But they won't notice a cloaked ship in the middle of Golden Gate Park, even if it leaves gigantic depressions on the grass.
• It probably isn't the best idea, if your traveling to 1980s San Francisco, to have your officer with a thick Russian accent ask people on the street where the "nuclear wessels" are.  I'm just saying.
• If you insist on doing so, please make sure that he isn't captured.  Poor Chekov's brain is fragile.  But no one will ask questions as long as you kind of look like a doctor.
• To discuss death, one must first have died.  If this doesn't apply to you, then you're out of luck.
• The correct usage of more colorful metaphors is required knowledge for any forays into the past.  Make sure you've boned up on your swears!
• Time travel looks kind of cheap, and weird, but not anything at all what you'd expect time travel to actually look like.
• Heavy handed environmental messages always go down better with a little bit of humor.

See, you should really watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.  It's just plain educational.