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This Week's PCR Movie Review |
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"The Hangover"
Movie review by: Movies are rated 0 to 4 stars
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| MOVIE REVIEW "The Hangover" by Mike Smith | |||
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It’s funny how important the bachelor party is to men. Many look it at as one last night to be themselves, before they have to shift into husband mode and be responsible. Such is the case of Doug (Justin Bartha), who is due to get married in a couple of days. He and his friends, Phil (Cooper), Stu (Helms) and future brother in law Alan (Galifianakis) decide to take Alan’s fathers’ choice Mercedes convertible to Las Vegas for one more memory. Too bad it’s one that none of them can remember.
I must give Hollywood credit. The studios have come to realize that not only are adult comedies profitable, they can be both adult and a comedy. Too many times in the past, R-rated films like “Porkys,” “Police Academy” and the like would do huge business. Then, in an attempt to lure in even more of an audience, the sequels would be PG rated. Sure, they had their funny moments, but often times it was the R-rated antics that made them FUNNY. Recent films like “Old School,” “Wedding Crashers” and “Walk Hard” have kept the raunch and elevated the funny. And now “The Hangover” takes it’s rightful place alongside them.
The film is a visual postcard for Las Vegas and if you’ve ever been there you’ll appreciate how beautiful the city is, especially from the rooftops where few tourists have ventured. It is here that our foursome toast the upcoming prenuptuals. And it is from here that the boys begin an adventure that will intertwine them with everything from a mystery baby to Mike Tyson, with a few live chickens thrown in for good measure. The cast is a who’s who of comedy talent. Helms, who cut his teeth working on “The Daily Show,” is currently a fixture on television’s “The Office.” Cooper, probably best known for his work on “Alias,” has done great supporting work in such films as “Wedding Crashers” and, from earlier this year, “He’s Just Not That Into You” while Galifianakis has built a following from his appearances on Comedy Central as well as traveling with Will Ferrell’s “Funny or Die” tour. He also scores points here for resembling a husky Joaquin Phoenix in his new “rapper” guise. All three perform under the master touch of director Phillips who, along with Judd Apatow, has brought FUNNY back with films like “Road Trip” and “Old School.” How talented is this guy? He even gets FUNNY out of Mike Tyson!
With June just beginning and, with the exception of “Bruno,” not too much FUNNY on the horizon, I think I can safely predict that “The Hangover” will join March’s “I Love You Man” as one of the funniest films of the year. On a scale of zero to four stars I give “The Hangover”
This week's movie review of "The Hangover" is ©2009 by Michael A. Smith. All graphics this page are creations of Nolan B. Canova, ©2009, all rights reserved. All contents of "Nolan's Pop Culture Review" are ©2009 by Nolan B. Canova.
