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THE HANGOVER
Blu-ray Edition
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed
Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken
Jeong, Mike Epps
Director: Todd Phillips
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Studio: Warner Bros.
Features: See Review
Length: 100 Minutes (Theatrical), 108 Minutes (Unrated)
Release Date: December 15, 2009
“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except for herpes. That s**t’ll come home with you.”
I don’t know how many of us have ever had a night of partying that was so intense we couldn’t remember a thing the next morning, but I’m sure a few of us have imagined what that might be like. And what better setting to do it than Las Vegas, where the money is always moving, the drinks are always flowing, and nothing is so decadent that it hasn’t been done before?
Well, for friends Phil (Cooper), Stu (Helms) and Alan (Galifianakis), it’s more than just a dream…it’s a personal challenge to have the most fun any quartet ever had as they take their pal Doug (Bartha) for a bachelor party in Sin City two days before his wedding. On the roof of Caesar’s Palace, the men drink a toast that whatever happens that night, it won’t be remembered.
Flash forward to the next morning, and…well, the hotel room is trashed, but in much more insane ways than you’re probably thinking. Doug is gone, and his three friends literally have no memory of any events of the night before. Stu is missing a tooth, but that’s just the beginning of their worries as they realize they have about 24 hours to piece together the events of the night before, find Doug, and return him to his bride’s side in time to save his and everyone else’s face.
It’s like what would happen if Judd Apatow made Memento. And I don’t want to go any further into the plot, because discovering what the guys really did on their infamous night at the same time they do is one of the constant and hilarious pleasures of the movie. Suffice to say, no matter how hard we’ve ever partied in our lives, we’re complete amateurs when it comes to what went down the night these guys took on Las Vegas.
The Hangover is one of the most ingenious premises for a comedy I’ve come across in some time, and the combination of cast and script is a perfect mix for a film that rolls out surprise after surprise and aims each one squarely at your funny bone. I never saw the theatrical version, but this unrated version is an absolute scream, as I was constantly going from admiring these guys to fearing for their lives, sometimes in the span of the same minute.
One thing I will say about the finale…absolutely brilliant; as a missing camera turns up and shows the fellows exactly what their wild night was like in photographic form as the credits roll. So the laughter doesn’t stop even then.
It feels great to laugh loud, hard, and often, and this movie, easily the year’s funniest, afforded me the chance to do just that. I enjoy Las Vegas myself, but if there is such a thing as too much excess in Sin City, The Hangover clearly demonstrates what it would look like.
Video ***1/2
I love the way Las Vegas looks on DVD, and the night scenes here are particularly stunning. More of the movie takes place in the daytime and under the harsh glare of the desert sun, and a lot of it isn’t particularly demanding of high definition, but still looks quite good. The interiors exhibit the best and clearest detail. Colors are natural and well-contained throughout, and every shot comes through with cleanness and crispness.
Audio ***
The soundtrack gets most of its dynamic range from big sequences of physical comedy and the music, but the contrast to the quieter moments is nicely done. Use of the rear channels is a little more sparing than with other discs, but the dialogue comes through with terrific clarity with this TrueHD audio mix, and the over blend is nicely done.
Features ***1/2
There are some extras exclusive to the Blu-ray version of the film, including a picture-in-picture commentary with director Todd Phillips and stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. You can access BD LIVE for some extra content, including a cursing mash-up compilation and Mike Tyson’s version of “In the Air Tonight”.
You also get more pictures from the missing camera, the map of destruction that chronicles the guys’ mayhem in Vegas, a compilation of the physical comedy, the three stars improvising their “best friends” song, a look at the awful wedding band, and a closer look at the hysterical Ken Jeong in action. There is also a digital copy disc for use with your computer and/or portable media device.
Summary:
The Hangover is a hysterical journey back through the most insane night a trio of friends ever had, and one of the smartest and most effective comedies I’ve seen in a long time. And remember, friends…what happens in your home theatre stays in your home theatre.
