Movie review: For The Hangover Three, something completely different

When “The Hangover” was released in 2009, it was like a comedic sucker punch to the gut that won over audiences. Moviegoers were left rolling in the aisles at the “Wolf Pack’s” misadventures as they searched Las Vegas high and low for their friend on the day of his wedding following a night of alcohol (and drug)-fueled insanity. All told, the comedic payoffs were huge, the box office even more so.

When the inevitable first sequel turned out to be a glorified – albeit, profitable – remake set in Bangkok, no one had any reason to hope the third installment would be anything worth seeing. Thankfully, with “Part III”, director Todd Phillips (“The Hangover”, “Old School”) and screenwriter Craig Mazin (“Scary Movie 3, 4”) seem to have taken the critical mauling from their last outing to heart, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink in a final bid for laughs and box office glory.

As “Part III” opens, Phil (Bradley Cooper from “Limitless”, Silver Linings Playbook”), Stu (Ed Helms from TV’s “The Office”) and Doug (Justin Bartha of “National Treasure,” TV’s “The New Normal”) are about to take part in an intervention for Alan (Zach Galifianakis from “Up in the Air,” TV’s “Bored to Death”). Alan’s trademark immaturity and overall instability, combined with a refusal to take his medication, have resulted in an increasingly destructive series of events, not the least of which is the exit of Jeffrey Tambor’s (TV’s “Arrested Development”) character from the series.



Of course, nothing goes according to plan, and it isn’t long before the “Wolf Pack” becomes embroiled in a convoluted plot involving escaped gangster Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong from “Role Models,” TV’s “Community”), drug lord Marshall (“Argo’s” always-excellent John Goodman, cheerfully chewing scenery with murderous abandon), and $42 million in gold bullion.

The thing about the original “Hangover” was that it came out of nowhere, fulfilling the tenet that comedy must be surprising in order to be, well, funny. “Part II’s” problem was that it tried so hard to recreate the freshness of the first film, the end result was a pale imitation.

“Part III” displays a concerted effort by all involved to not repeat what’s gone before, shifting genre gears to something more akin to an ensemble caper than (yet) another post-alcoholism adventure set before a wedding. The attempt isn’t always successful, but “Part III” makes up for it with more than its share of solid gags and serves as kind of a reward for fans of the series who’ve stuck it out this far.



Guilty laughs and black humor abound, owing to the decision to let the two most outlandish characters – Alan and the perpetually-drug-crazed Chow – take center stage. While their antics are more extreme versions of what’s come before, new to the series are multiple instances of animal cruelty and a surprising amount of unnecessarily graphic violence, seemingly added for shock value.

Admittedly, the degree to which you will enjoy this film will depend greatly on your affinity for these characters and their shenanigans. Perhaps this is why Phillips and Mazin pepper “Part III” with several intentional callbacks to the first film, including the entire third act, which takes place “where it all began:” Las Vegas. Cameos abound: aside from Goodman’s menacing Marshall, the first film’s Black Doug (Mike Epps from “Next Friday”) and Jade (Heather Graham from “Boogie Nights,” “Bowfinger”), the stripper with a heart of gold, make appearances. Even baby Carlos turns up!

Not faring as well are the characters played by Bartha, Cooper, and Helms who, at this stage of their respective careers, may have already outgrown this series. Their hearts just don’t seem to be in it this time around, but one would imagine keeping up with Jeong’s manic energy and Galifiniakis’ innocent/demented man-child to be a difficult proposition, in any case.

While “The Hangover Part III” isn’t likely to have as much replay value as the first one, it’s not the train wreck that the second one was, and is certainly not without its own deranged charms. The mid-credits stinger alone is one for the books, as the ever-hapless Stu is confronted with a pair of problems that brought the house down at the preview screening in Manila.

Just shut your brain off, and don’t expect the plot making a lick of sense. The people who made this movie were obviously having fun, and if you just sit back and let it happen, chances are, you will, too. – YA, GMA News

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. The Hangover 3 opened Wednesday in Manila cinemas.

Mikhail Lecaros is a professional magazine editor and freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are solely his own.