Movie Review: The Hangover (2009)

The Hangover (2009)

This last weekend featured 2 major movie upsets that defied all predictions. Not only did The Hangover beat out Pixar's one-week old family-friendly hit, Up, stealing first place, but it also demolished Will Ferrell's Land of the Lost: a massively over-advertised and bankable summer special effects comedy that had triple the budget of the R-rated Hangover. Land of the Lost barely cracked 19 mil... pretty pathetic for a 100 mil film starring one of Hollywood's most popular comedic talents. Part of this upset is no doubt due to Land's awkward release campaign that suffered from advertisements portraying the film as kid-friendly, while in reality it wrestled not to get an R. The other part of the upset is surely due to The Hangover being a genuinely funny film that has great character chemistry, hilarious gags, a fresh cast, and intelligent writing. I am always really satisfied when the movie-going public actually rewards the better movie, a feat rarely achieved, especially in the flashy summer season.

The cast is made up of a bunch of relatively unknown actors. Bradley Cooper, who lead the way in Midnight Meat Train (2008), Ed Helms from TV's The Office, and newcomer Zach Galifianakis. All are at the top of their game, and I plead with Bradley to stay clear of anymore romantic comedies like last year's abysmal He's Just Not That Into You, because he is much better than that and still has a chance to maintain his dignity, unlike Matthew McConaughey whose career will never deserve anything close to respect. Ed Helms has solidified his transition from TV to movies. He is hysterically funny, and he isn't even playing to the oddball. That role goes to Zach Galifianakis. I would not go so far as to call his performance "breakthrough," but he holds his own against some very funny actors and that is commendable.

The movie is surprisingly smart despite some truly juvenile gags and language. The movie is designed to please a wide range of adults. If you like your humor a little smarter than your average Will Ferrell movie, you will appreciate The Hangover. And the movie actually has some critical subtext, exploring society's civilizing effects on men who feel that their independence is threatened. The Hangover is about sacrifices, both positive and negative, that allow all of us to get along in harmonious ways and fall in love for all the right reasons.

The final verdict: a hilariously entertaining summer comedy for adults who don't mind a smidgen of adolescent humour on the side. It's lovely to see an R-rated comedy succeed at the box office, especially one as smart and endearing as The Hangover.