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Ironically I was watching The Hangover with still having one myself from the previous night, but unlike the hangover these guys were experiencing I can still remember a lot of the night before. These guys find themselves on the floor of their $ 4200,- suite with a chicken, a tiger, a baby, a missing friend, a missing tooth and a bellybutton piercing. When trying to recapture their missing memories they will stumble upon stolen cop cars, Mike Tyson, a stripper, a marriage, the Chinese Mob and more. Bachelor-parties: some things are better left unspoken.
The set-up is fairly similar to that of Dude, Where’s My Car? only a lot less annoying. It also feels refreshing in a way. Sure this is a comedy and the set-up isn’t original but in a time when movies either seem to consist of gross-out gags, 100 gags a minute or both this is a movie that takes a concept and makes the most of it. It never takes the easy way out by injection tons of sex-related jokes although when watching the end credits they sure could have. After all, this is Vegas.
And Vegas = strippers (amongst other) and so one of the supporting roles is played by Heather Graham as a stripper/escort-girl which made me wonder: how many times has she been playing a woman who sells her body for money now? Anyway, she’s sweet, but not your average Pretty Woman like hooker, she’s just looking for a way out of this life.
It’s these kinds of details that elevate the movie, normally one would go for the stereotype. None of the lead-characters is a walking stereotype and even the supporting roles manage to be original. Not all of them though. There are a couple of police officers featured in the movie which we have seen before in movies like Reno 911, but I must admit they sure were funny even though they owe it mostly due to a class of kids.
There’s one itty-bitty problem with The Hangover: The raving reception it got, the glorifying comments I read and the high rating on the IMDB really set up an expectation of this movie which it could never fulfill I guess. When expecting the Citizen Kane of comedies you’re sure to be disappointed so watch this movie like you should watch any movie: do not expect a Citizen Kane and try to go in as blank as you can end let yourself be surprised.
I liked The Hangover very much even if it didn’t met all of my expectations. The movie is funny, clever and will make most people laugh. The jokes serve the story for once in a world where there’s a spoof coming out every two or three months and in which the jokes make up the story, tying unrelated scenes together. The Hangover will appeal to guys and girls and is a treat to watch.
