One of the funniest comedies of the year if finally available on DVD! As evidenced by my past DVD reviews I'm not one who usually purchases films right away but the 2-disc Unrated edition of The Hangover needs to be purchased by anyone interested! With a few hilarious features and a digital copy this is a film that must be owned by any fan of humor in general.
Doug (Justin Bartha) is getting married, and with that comes the requisite bachelor party. His two best friends Stu and Phil (Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper) and his soon-to-be brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis) plan to take him to Las Vegas for a night of manly debauchery. When the three wake up to a trashed hotel room, a tiger in the bathroom and a baby in the closet it seems things can't get any worse until they find Doug missing. With only a few hours till the wedding the trio have to figure out what happened the night before and get Doug to the altar in time.
If nothing else, The Hangover is the funniest movie of the year! When it all comes down a purchasing a DVD, the movie itself has to be worth your time and this film delivers. The three friends may have their flaws, but you can relate to at least one or know someone like them and you're thoroughly engaged in their adventure. The jokes range from one-liners, to slapstick, to the occasional vomiting scene and that allows different demographics to engage in the humor. The film isn't just a guys film, it's a movie that connects with anyone whose had a wild vacation, particularly a wild night in Vegas. The audience follows the men as they try to piece together the night so everyone comes in with the same amount of knowledge. In my past review I mentioned not enjoying the subplot with the Chinese character, Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) but on a second viewing I laughed out loud. Yes the character is overtly stereotypical and the plot is a bit out-of-place, but that shows the absurdity of the whole venture.
If the cast didn't have the right chemistry, this movie would fall flat. Helms, Galifianakis, and Cooper seem like “three best friends” and they all add a little something to the mix. Helms is the worry-wart, Cooper is the suave ladies man and Galifianakis is the oddball, loose-cannon. On top of that there's appearances from Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor and Heather Graham that add their own little something to the mix. Props also have to go out to the babies who play Carlos/Tyler. That baby is the one indelible image anyone takes away and for an infant, its got perfect comedic timing.
The 2-disc Unrated DVD is hit or miss with the features but they're funny on a first showing and the movie makes up for any lack of fun. There's only eight additional minutes of footage including a few additional scenes with Doug and a twist on what happens to his father-in-law's car. They aren't as funny compared to the big additional scene, an extra few minutes with the guys in an elevator with the incapacitated tiger. It's a funny scene involving the guys attempting to dissuade a child from getting too close and it was the only added scene I laughed at. The second disc contains a digital copy for travel purposes, a must if you're traveling and want a laugh. There is a gag reel with a few flubbed lines and missed cues that's funny on a first shot. The biggest surprise is an audio commentary with the three stars and director Todd Phillips. They talk about everything to do with this movie and have a hilarious camaraderie. It's not as insightful or deep as expected but they make you laugh along with the movie. There's an extra clip of The Dan Band performing “Fame,” a performance that doesn't hold a candle to their work in Old School and there's an extended clip of the “Three Best Friends” song that was a tad annoying. “The Madness of Ken Jeong” is mostly improvs from the actor and I giggled a few times but it wasn't anything special. The movie also touts “100 More Photos from the Missing Camera” but I didn't notice anything additional.
While the DVD may falter a bit with the extras this is a movie that must be purchased. It may not have as much extra or unrated material as advertised but the digital copy is gorgeous and the movie is hysterical. Definitely a movie to pick up this Christmas if you still need a gift idea.
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