Todd Phillips (Old School, Starsky and Hutch) strikes comedy gold with The Hangover, now available on DVD. The film was met with critical praise when it was released this summer and is the most financially successful R-rated comedy of all time, breaking the record set by Beverly Hills Cop more than 20 years ago.
The premise of The Hangover is quite simple. Four guys head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, and the next morning three of the guys wake up to discover the groom-to-be is missing. The guys can’t remember a single thing. Their hotel room is completely destroyed, a tiger is in their bathroom, and they find a baby in a closet. Also, one of the guys is missing a tooth. Racing against time, they must find their friend as they try to piece together what happened during their wild night.
The Hangover really works because of the chemistry of the cast. Stu is played by Ed Helms (The Office), and he is the unfortunate man who wakes up without a tooth. He plays a fantastic straight man who must juggle lying to his controlling girlfriend amidst all of the hilarious situations the trio find themselves in. Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers) plays Phil, a schoolteacher who is bored with his married life. Phil is a bit of a wild man, but he takes the initiative when it comes to hunting down the missing groom, Doug.
Zach Galifianakis really shines as Alan, Doug’s brother-in-law to be. Alan is very socially awkward with the other three best friends. Galifianakis takes advantage of this opportunity to flex his comedic muscle as he steals scene after scene with hilarious lines. Over the course of the movie Stu, Phil, and Alan bond in their search for Doug, and watching these three play off of one another is a lot of fun.
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