6/5/09

The Hangover

Raunch! Nudity! Profanity! A tiger in the bathroom??? (and I still don't know about the chicken...)

Actually I'm delighted to see that yummy Bradley Cooper ("He's Just Not That Into You" and "Yes Man") in a lead role. He's as handsome as ever, and this role does nothing to make me change my mind.

His character is best man for an upcoming, big formal wedding. As the groom's closest friend, he has organized a bachelor party to end all bachelor parties. They are traveling to Las Vegas with two other guys, one is the bride's skuzzy brother and the other is an old college chum. You will see:
  • Justin Bartha ("Failure to Launch") as the would-be bridegroom
  • Ed Helms ("Evan Almighty") as the henpecked chum with the maxed-out credit cards
  • Zach Galifianakis ("What Happens in Vegas") as Justin's future brother-in-law.

In addition:

  • Heather Graham ("Bowfinger") is a sweet stripper who ends up with that heirloom ring...
  • Oh, and did I mention Mike Tyson???
  • ...and that baby?

The first morning after our foursome arrives, three of them awaken in their trashed hotel suite with a baby in the cabinet, a tiger in the bathroom, and a groom gone missing; the rest of the movie shows them trying to reconstruct what happened and locate their missing buddy before it's too late!

This movie richly deserves its "R" rating, but it's also very, very funny. As an audience exits a theater, I can usually get a feel for their reaction by the volume of their voices. This crowd pleaser generated a LOT of upbeat energy.