Movie Info
Movie Name: The Hangover Part III
Studio: Legendary Pictures
Genre(s): Comedy
Release Date(s): May 23, 2013
MPAA Rating: R
Putting the “fun” back in funerals!!!
The Wolfpack is back…whether they like it or not! When Sid Garner (Jeffrey Tambor) dies, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) finds he’s lost his father and best friend. Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), Stu Price (Ed Helms), and Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) realize that Alan needs professional help and agree to send him to rehab…unfortunately, their past adventures are about to come back to haunt them. Captured by “Black Doug” (Mike Epps) and a group of men, the Wolfpack learns that Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) has robbed Marshall (John Goodman), the boss of “Black Doug”. Now Doug is a hostage, and Alan, Stu, and Phil must locate Chow and the stolen gold.
The Wolfpack is back!!!
Directed by Todd Phillips, The Hangover Part III is allegedly the last film in The Hangover “trilogy”. Following disappointing reviews for The Hangover Part II (most saw it simply as The Hangover…again), The Hangover Part III received many negative reviews and criticism for its story.
I enjoyed The Hangover, skipped The Hangover Part II, and checked out The Hangover Part III (albeit for free). Having missed Part II, I don’t feel I missed much plotwise since this story is more tied to The Hangover. With the duplicate script of The Hangover Part II, The Hangover Part III attempted to make an entirely new story while revisiting the past of The Hangover.
You want Doug, you deal with me!
Despite being called “The Hangover”, there really wasn’t any hangover…unless you stay for the end credits (which I found to be the funniest part of the movie). It is pretty tedious that Doug always get taken though it has to make it pretty easy for Justin Bartha to shoot the movies. The adventure which ranges from Mexico to Las Vegas doesn’t really have the energy it needs to keep going.
Chow wants something you have!
Part of the problem is over-Zach Galifianakis and over-Ken Jeong. Galifianakis was the best part of The Hangover because he was weird and funny, but he wasn’t as free-range as he is in this film. He just would say inappropriate stuff on occasion as the “adventure” continued. Here, he’s become the focus and the movie forces funny one-liners down your throat…yes some are funny, but others left the full theater rather silent. When Bridesmaids came out in 2011, everyone said Melissa McCarthy’s character was the female Alan Garner so it seems only fitting that the two are teamed here. Ken Jeong also was good in The Hangover as a little add of weirdness to the wild night (like Mike Tyson), but I think as the thrust of the story, he’s a bit annoying and would have worked better in small doses.
The Hangover Part III isn’t a horrible comedy but it also isn’t the inspired, fun comedy that kicked off the series. The first movie’s smart style of writing is sloppy and loose here and doesn’t have the punch of the original film. The producers kept touting this Hangover as the final Hangover of the series, but the after credit scene could say otherwise (or just make the promise of “a hangover” not a lie).
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