Rick's Picks: The Hangover (Selenium Apocalypse)

The Hangover
Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zack Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
& Michael Tyson
Directed by Todd Phillips

I think I broke a rib. Seriously folks, it still hurts. It has been a long time since I laughed so hard that I could still feel it the next day. People, The Hangover physically hurt me last night, but in a good way. I can handle the soreness. It was worth it. This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long, long time. Sure, I’ve seen those that make me laugh and smile, but this thing was relentless. I’m talking start to finish. Believe me, the finish is possibly the best laugh in the whole film.

The Hangover was directed by Todd Phillips (Road Trip, Old School). I have laughed very hard at parts of his past two hits in the past. However, he’s finally put together the perfect formula that makes the laughs non-stop. He might give you a minute to catch your breath, but they are few and far between. Phillips just lets it rip in the movie. I’m talking no holds barred. It is crude, rude, brutal, and completely random. The characters go through so much shit in this movie in such a short amount of time, you can just imagine how bad they all smell when it’s all said and done.

The premise is very simple. The character of Doug (Justin Bartha) is getting married in two days and his best friends and future brother-in-law decide to take him on a hit and run trip to Las Vegas for his bachelor party. Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms play the best friends. They play Phil and Stu, respectively. Phil is a schoolteacher and family man. When he gets around his friends, he really lets his inner-scumbag rear its ugly head. Stu is a mild mannered dentist who is caught up in a bad relationship and really needs to blow off some steam. Rounding out the cast is Zach Galifianakis who plays Alan, Doug’s future brother-in-law. Alan is quite the simpleton and he lacks the social graces that the other ones possess in spades.

The plot is quite simple after this. The men go to the rooftop of Caesar’s Palace to start the night off with a toast. Alan, with best intentions at heart, buys a bottle of Jaegermeister for the toast. We later find out that he thought that he dosed the bottle of Jaeger with Ecstasy, but it was actually Rohipinol. We catch up with the group the morning after. Their suite is trashed and Doug is nowhere to be found. However, they have inherited a Bengal Tiger and a baby. The rest of the movie consists of the three friends trying to figure out what happened to themselves and to the groom-to-be. To sweeten the pot, there are glorified cameos by Mike Tyson, Heather Graham, and Ken Jeong. Jeong really chews up the scenery with the few minutes he gets of screen time.

This movie delivered on all levels and it comes highly recommended. In fact, I think it could only improve with multiple viewings due to the amount of in your face comedy and the subtle things that occur in the background. As I mentioned earlier, the best laugh of the entire movie might be during the end credits so stay in your seat when the credits start. See this film!!!

P.S. – On a total Geek level, Bradley Cooper is heavily rumored to be the frontrunner for the part of Hal Jordan/GREEN LANTERN. After seeing his performance in this movie, I think he definitely has the chops to wear the emerald tights.