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Movie:		7.0
Picture:		7.0
Sound:		8.0
Extras:		6.0
Score:		7.0

Director(s):	Todd Phillips • Tom Phillips
Writer(s):	Jon Lucas & Scott Moore
Starring:	Bradley Cooper • Ed Helms • Heather Graham • Justin Bartha • Zack Galifianakis
Genre:	Comedy
Website:	http://hangovermovie.warnerbros.com/
Release Date:	December 15, 2009

List Price:	DVD - $14.99 ; 2-Disc DVD - $19.99 ; Blu-ray - $15.99
Amazon:

The man himself might not recognize it, but Todd Phillips, over the course of really only a couple of mainstream hits, has built up what the French like to call an oeuvre. The Hangover, which plays almost like an indirect sequel to Phillips’s own Old School, is probably the best expression yet of the most central of the themes in that oeuvre; being, quite plainly, that dudes are awesome. In fact, that might very well be the only theme, and you can’t really blame him since all of his characters seem to be twenty-somethings just entering puberty. The central appeal of The Hangover lays primarily in Phillips’s ability to keep things in balance, allowing his guys to have fun, but reigning it in before the whole thing devolves into a chest-thumping mess.

Two days before he is scheduled to get married, Doug (Justin Bartha) is taken to Vegas for a bachelor party by nihilistic womanizer Phil (Bradley Cooper), nerdy whipped Stu (Ed Helms), and weirdo brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis). The evening starts out well enough, with the four men standing on the roof of Caesar’s Palace toasting to Doug’s marriage, but then the movie cuts forward to the morning after, their hotel room in an Emmerich-worthy state of destruction and no memory what has happened in the last twelve hours. Furthermore, Doug is nowhere to be seen. The rest of the movie is a Memento-esque series of comedic misadventures as they both try to find Doug and piece together exactly what they did the night before, which, you’ve probably already guessed from the previews, involves a baby, a tiger, Mike Tyson air-drumming, and one of them (I forget if they revealed who) marrying a stripper (Heather Graham).

Unlike other comedies of late, The Hangover makes it pretty clear that this is not a movie to bring a date to; this one’s specifically for guys. It’s not that women are specifically excluded (the film and its characters are surprisingly positive towards marriage in the end), but with the most likeable female character (and most responsible character overall) being Heather Graham’s stripper, it’s obvious whose ride this is. By removing the film’s straight man (which is how most people probably see themselves in their own lives), The Hangover is probably more accurate in its portrayal of how men behave than nearly any other film that was released this year (because, in the end, we are all someone else’s dumb buddy). It’s funny, particularly when the three characters are allowed to simply bounce off one another in nearly structureless scenes, but it’s never terribly flattering to watch, especially when we’re pretty sure that they’re talking about us. These guys pretend to only be interested women for sex (when deep down, they probably haven’t figured out that they actually need them), try to look cool when they really haven’t any semblance of control over their own lives, and, for that matter, aren’t particularly competent detectives. They’re infantile, messy, and totally preoccupied with themselves; they are representative of us in a way that no romantic comedy leads have been in quite some time.

Granted, whatever poignancy you might be tempted to draw from is completely rolled over by the avalanche of prurience that this film indulges in, but poignancy is so out of the picture here that it’s not even a consideration. Really, it’s not even a hope. Anything that you probably would have hoped for with this film (my guess is generally outlandish things) is here in spades. So if you haven’t already, you should give this film a try. If you’re a guy, you’ll probably relate to it in an almost uncomfortable way. If you’re a girl, you’ll gain valuable insight into everything you ever wanted to ask about the opposite sex but were afraid to know the real answer to.

This Blu-ray contains both the theatrical cut and the unrated cut (which, as usual, adds little to nothing to the viewing experience).

Blu-ray Bonus Features

Picture-in-Picture Commentary with Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis-Available only on the Theatrical Cut.

Map of Destruction-An interactive map that shows the different locations where the film was shot.

The Madness of Ken Jeong-Some improvisational scenes featuring the guy who played Mr. Chow.

Action Mash-up-A seizure inducing montage of every incidence of violence in the film.

Three Best Friends Song-An extension of a scene from the film.

The Dan Band-An extension of the scene featuring the wedding band.

Gag Reel-A whole lot of footage of people screwing up.

More Pictures From The Missing Camera-No real surprises here.