The Hangover

In 2003 Director Todd Phillips gave us Old School, a rip-roaringly funny insta-classic that also managed to kick-start a new era of man-child comedy. 2004 brought us Adam McKay’s Anchorman, 2005 Judd Apatow’s 40 Year Old Virgin, and every year since then someone from their new-wave comedy crew has continued the trend, laughing their way to millions of satisfied Box Office dollars. DVD shelves across America are filled with worn copies of their movies, and none will feature a more prominent place in the years to come than The Hangover, Phillips crowning achievement.
The concept behind this movie is so basic, so generic, it’s hard to believe that a.) the story isn’t already worn to the bone and, as a result, b.) there’s any more blood to be eked out of it. Phil (Wedding Crashers’ Bradley Cooper), Stu (The Office’s Ed Helms) and Alan (underground comedy sensation Zach Galifianakis) bring their buddy to Vegas for a bachelor party, proceed to get blackout drunk and wake up the next morning without him. Two days before the wedding, the groom is MIA, and the guys can’t remember a single thing that happened. What ensues as they retrace their steps in an effort to relocate him is the “what happened last night” kinda flick that you can find produced at almost every film school every year…and yet something completely and sincerely different.
Despite all its seemingly intrinsic misgivings, The Hangover feels fresh, unique and ironically memorable. This is one of those magical cinematic events where everything comes together. The script (by Ghosts of Girlfriends Past team Jon Lucas and Scott Moore) gets a lot of laughs and a lot of mileage out of “guys being guys” humor, yet never feels vulgar, and rarely even stumbles into toilet humor. They’ve managed to take something so uniquely male as a bachelor party and make it (close to) equally appealing to a female audience.
Their characters feel familiar yet not generic, largely because of the superb casting. Cooper is smugly charming, Helms sincerely dorky. But it’s Zach G. who steals the show with his oddball antics. He’s Phillips’ new Will Farrell, more eccentric, less leading-man. Together the three have an easy chemistry, a new generation of stooges you want to invite to every party.
It’s Phillips, however, that guides them and the script to comedy genius, and more than anything this is his movie. The Hangover is everything you want from a blockbuster laugher – accessible, appealing and non-stop funny. It’s a repeat viewer, and it’s threatening to top this year’s Summer Blockbuster Smackdown. Updated standings:

1. Star Trek
2. The Hangover
3. Up
4. Drag Me To Hell
5. Terminator Salvation
6. Angels & Demons
7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine