So far I’ve not read or heard a bad review of this film, and having seen it I’m not surprised. One thing I would recommend is to avoid the trailer if you can. There are loads of laughs in here, and it takes the edge off if you’ve seen them before.
Plot-in-a-nutshell: Four guys go for a stag night in Las Vegas. And then wake up the next morning without the husband-to-be…
The Hangover has a great script, starting at the beginning, jumping a few hours and leaving you guessing as much as the main characters as to what’s happened. Each bizarre thing they did the night before is revealed perfectly and nothing is so outlandish that you can’t believe it could happen. In fact I’m sure most of them have happened to someone at some point and probably reported in the little funny stories in the newspapers.
We don’t see too much of the groom in the film (well, the fact he goes missing is central to the plot), but the three main protagonists are a very good mixed bunch. Different from each other without going off the deep end of believability.
We have a somewhat mad but somehow gifted child in a man’s body. A suave ladies’ man. A geek with an overbearing girlfriend. They play off each other so well and the scenes see them go through every emotion you can conceive without once seeming unrealistic.
And there’s a key word: believability. That’s what’s key about this film. As much as insane things happen (or happened), as bonkers as it all may seem, it doesn’t quite let go of the fact that this could maybe, perhaps, just happen.
Is this “the comedy of the year”? I don’t know – it’s only June and I’m not some tosser who writes for The Sun and proclaims anything that makes him chortle the funniest thing in the world. However, it is very funny and also a great story. Don’t miss it.
I have seen trailers for this and whilst I’m not usually into comedies, this one looks very funny.
And amazingly there’s a sequel being planned already. Good grief. As long as it’s not as disappointing as the last Harold and Kumar movie. Of which a third is in the works. Please, no.
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