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Saturday, May 25, 2013

THE HANGOVER PART III


About The Movie:

This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off. In the aftermath of the death of Alan's father, the wolfpack decide to take Alan to get treated for his mental issues. But things start to go wrong on the way to the hospital as the wolfpack is assaulted and Doug is kidnapped. Now they must find Mr. Chow again in order to surrender him to the gangster who kidnapped Doug in order to save him.


What Is Good/Bad About The Movie:

With The Hangover 3, the masses of fans who complained that the second film was a disappointment (due to its replication of the first film’s formula and gags) are now getting what they wanted (for better or worse): something different. Whether that ‘different something’ satisfies or not depends entirely on each viewer’s relationship with the franchise at this point. If you’re invested in the characters and like watching them banter and interact, then Hangover 3 is a solid film; but if your only real interest in the franchise were the sick and outrageous reveals that came with the “What did we do last night?” formula… then the third film is probably not going strike your funny bone all that often. (Maybe you really did want more of the same after all?)

There is a sense of cohesiveness and completion to the larger narrative and though it is easily the strongest storyline of the three films, the usual plot-holes and ridiculousness can be found by those who go looking. Not to worry, though: there are still plenty of sex, drug, anatomical and body fluid jokes to go around. On the whole, the film offers a steady stream of medium laughs, but there are no “classic,” laugh-out-loud or big-cringe moments like first two films had. In terms of character, The Hangover was an origin story of how three very different guys affect one another and form a bond; Hangover II was Stu’s story of… (cough)… ‘personal discovery,’ but the third film is all about Alan, and Zach Galifianakis rises to the occasion. The only thing more comical than seeing Alan’s usual cutesy/creepy awkwardness is seeing Alan try to mature into manhood. Alan’s concept of “cool” is one of the best reoccurring gags the film has, and Galifianakis’ delivery seems much more organic and fun than the hard stares and snippy lines his character was previously known for.

Ken Jeong gets much more material to work with this time around, but still pretty much portrays the same outlandish Chinese stereotype we’ve seen in previous installments. John Goodman is properly menacing as Marshall, and holds the story together with a proper villain. I won’t spoil the cameos featured in the film let’s just say the comedic actors (both new additions and returning players) each bring some nice laughs, while other returning actors aren’t all that effective. One cameo in particular may have you getting a bit emotional (if you can believe it).

By the end, though, there is a definite sense that these characters have each grown and evolved and their send-off is bittersweet which is a positive achievement for any franchise. This film is an experience best enjoyed by those loyal fans who want to see the end of the Wolfpack saga. Those coming to the franchise for the first time (assuming you exist) will have zero idea what all the hype has been about while those just looking for a bigger, better set of laughs than The Hangover Part II offered are going to likely (and ironically) be disappointed this isn’t that same kind of party. 

Overall Grade: B-

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