What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. In the classic 2009 comedy film, the Hangover, that is exactly how four best buddies pray their trip will be- one crazy night of outrageous shenanigans before they head back home with memories of “the night that never happened.” Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned.
The movie starts out with average guy Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) and his fiancé, Tracy Garner (Sasha Baresse) amidst the last minute planning of what will be their beautiful and ceremoniously perfect wedding. Its two days before the big day and Doug has planned a trip to Vegas as a bachelor party of sorts for that very night. He of course invited his two best friends, socially awkward, aptly nicknamed Stu “Dr.faggot” Price (Ed Helms) and pretty boy Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), but also his new brother in law to be, Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis). Together they leave in Tracy’s father’s favorite car, a silver 1969 Mercedes-Benz cabriolet, at his suggestion, not at all prepared for the night of their lives.
As you might suppose from this movie’s title, they all wake up with a raging hangover. Their hotel room is thrashed, Alan is half-naked, Stu’s missing a tooth, Phil’s wearing a hospital bracelet around his wrist, there’s a tiger in the bathroom and Doug is missing in action. The best part? They remember nothing. Together, they must retrace their steps and search for clues that might not only tell them what happened, but tell them where Doug might be.
In all honesty, the film was pretty darn hilarious. Galifianakis’ character Alan, especially, was great. His character was some sort of crazy, yet innocent eccentric goofball dork. In the scene before they wake up hung over, they are all four standing on the hotel rooftop preparing to drink some shots before hitting up some casinos. In this scene, Alan reveals that he had prepared a speech for the occasion, and continues to read to them an emotional sentiment where Alan refers to himself as “a one man wolf pack,” then continues to say that since these people have entered his life, his pack has grown by three. The awkwardness on the faces of the other characters was absolutely priceless.
I was impressed with the other characters as well. The audience can easily identify with them and their unique nuances made the film enjoyable from beginning to end. Helms’ character, Stu, is somewhat of a geeky prep, if possible. You know the kind. The sort of guy in films that’s usually teased as a homosexual? Same happens here. In one of the scenes, I distinctly remember him wearing a sweater tied around his neck, like a cape, the way guys in movies are depicted when they’re supposedly really sophisticated and what not. In the beginning of the film, the audience watches him have a conversation with his girlfriend. Its obvious she’s a control freak and wants nothing more than for him to do whatever she says whenever she says and for whatever reason she gives, while she goes around doing whatever. He doesn’t even tell her they’re going to Vegas, but that instead he’s going to somewhere he described as a “quaint” wine country for a quiet relaxing evening.
This dishonesty sets up one more layer of difficulties between the guys and their struggle to fix the damage done during their stay, due to the fact that she calls relentlessly and assumes the worst when Stu lets the her calls go to voicemail.
Cooper’s character, Phil, involves the guys in plenty of trouble. Despite having a wife and child back home, Phil is convinced his life as a middle school teacher is the worst thing that could have ever happened to a guy. Determined to have the most fun he possibly can while he’s away, he tends to lead the others somewhat astray before they’ve even arrived in Vegas. In fact, it was he who shouted at Stu at the most inopportune moment during which Stu was explaining to his ward that his friends were really quite mature once you’ve gotten to know them. Precisely at that moment a monumental summoning from the front of his house referred to Stu as “Dr. Faggot”- a clever play on the fact that Stu will tell anyone who listens that he’s a doctor, when really he’s just a dentist. Phil is also seen in the opening scenes of the film collecting money from his students for a filed trip to a “planetarium” of some sort. Teacher of the year? Hardly. Somehow he manages to use his charisma to cheat extra money out of students for his own personal “Vegas” trip fund.
The appearances of other great characters, such as part-time stripper Melissa (Michelle Graham), psychotic Asian mafia man Mr.Chow (Ken Jeong), and Mike Tyson in the flesh, really kept this film interesting and entertaining. Overall, the film was an all around awesome, funny movie. I highly recommend it to those who love funny stuff; adults, and probably young adults as well. I mean, anyone who’s anyone has already seen this flick pretty much, right? If not-- watch it! I insist! If you’re looking for laughs, you will not be disappointed.
