Runtime: 100 minutes
Color: Color
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1
Language: English
Country: USA/Germany
Director: Todd Phillips
Release Date: 06/05/09
Film star: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham

In one of the most hilarious movies ever made about a trip to Vegas, The Hangover serves up nonstop laughs and one of the most absurd plots ever to hit the big screen. From Todd Phillips, the director of the hit comedic flicks Road Trip and Old School, The Hangover is a must see for anyone with a good sense for the bizarre who wants to laugh and laugh and laugh some more.

The Hangover tells the story of four guys who head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Doug, played by Justin Bartha, is the one who’s getting married; Phil, played by Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers), is a married high school teacher who stoops to the maturity level of his students when he’s with his friends; Stu, played by Ed Helms (The Office), is a dentist with a controlling girlfriend who he plans to propose to at Doug’s wedding; and Alan, played by Zach Galifianakis, Doug’s brother-in-law to be who is just as smart as he is socially inept.

The movie starts out just as you would imagine any movie about a wild bachelor party in Vegas. The guys get a suite at Caesar’s Palace, head up to the roof to toast the groom, ready for their night out on the town. Fast forward to the next morning, when the guys wake up, their hotel room trashed, with no recollection of what happened the night before. They find a tiger in the bathroom (that belongs to Mike Tyson!), Stu is missing a front tooth, there’s a baby in the closet and, worst of all, Doug is missing.

Phil, Stu and Alan set out on a mission to backtrack their steps from the night before and find Doug so they can get him home in time for the wedding. In the process, they find out that their night in Vegas was even crazier than they could possibly have imagined. Why is there a naked Chinese man in the trunk of their car? Why does Phil have a hospital bracelet on his wrist? And, for goodness sake, why is Mike Tyson’s tiger in their bathroom?

The Hangover was one of the biggest comedies of summer 2009. Although it doesn’t star any of the popular comedic geniuses of our time (Will Farrell, Adam Sandler, Steve Carell), the movie still received outstanding reviews and moviegoers flocked to the theaters to see it. What makes The Hangover so hilarious is it’s “anything goes” mentality. From one scene to the next the plot is so unpredictable and the humor is so warped and almost morbid that the movie is like a rollercoaster ride for the viewers. You just can’t guess what’s coming next.

Pf course, Bradley Cooper is the best known of the actors in The Hangover, having played memorable roles in Wedding Crashers, All About Steve, and He’s Just Not That Into You. However, the rest of the actors stand up well. Justin Bartha, as Doug, is missing for much of the movie. However, Helms and Galifianakis, as Alan and Stu, have without a doubt boosted their careers as comedic actors with this film. Heather Graham also plays a supporting role in the movie, filling the role of “hot chick” in The Hangover, a role that every comedy needs.

While The Hangover isn’t deep and you won’t gain anything from seeing it, on an intelligent level, it is one of the most entertaining and uproarious comedies of recent years. For moviegoers who love wacky, bizarre comedy The Hangover can’t be missed.