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Bookmark this pageThe Hangover (2009)
Director: Todd Phillips
Movie review
From Time Out London
Mainstream comedy has always been a staunchly phallocentric affair, but recent months have seen a shift away from the loveable-doofus antics of the Frat pack into altogether more worrying territory. Spearheaded by the UK’s own ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’, 2009’s comic slate displays a disturbing attitude towards the fairer sex: sure, they’re nice to look at, but they’re also superfluous, and potentially even life-threatening.Todd Phillips’s previous big success, ‘Old School’, fell squarely in the frat camp, marrying ’80s-style debauchery with a broad streak of appealingly daft slapstick. ‘The Hangover’ retains the former but ditches the latter in favour of a series of loud, aggressive, increasingly unlikely set-piece gags. An intriguing, time-hopping set-up – a group of friends wake after a Vegas stag party and attempt to piece together the previous night’s activities – is wasted on obnoxious characters, celebrity cameos and crass attempts at humour.
It doesn’t help that the central cast is almost entirely forgettable, from the smug lounge lizardry of Bradley Cooper to the boisterous Jack Black-lite of Zach Galifianakis. A genuine star – Vaughn, Rudd, either Wilson brother – would have made these characters likeable, rather than simply pitiful and tiring. Ironically, the only memorable performance in the film – aside from a lumbering, if entirely appropriate, cameo from Mike Tyson – is given by Heather Graham as a hapless hooker. Her geisha-like docility, contrasted with a vicious, hectoring performance from Rachael Harris as a castrating girlfriend, sums up the film’s prehistoric attitude: women may be cute, but dudes don’t need the hassle.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 2025, June 11 - 17, 2009
User reviews of this film
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- Smokey said...
- Posted on Jul 07 2011 03:44 Finally someone who can realise this is a terrible movie. To all those who found it "funny" your IQ is probably very low or your just a prepubescent teenager.
- Report as inappropriate
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- calloway said...
- Posted on Jun 13 2011 01:34 go away you stupid brit. as if you would know anything about comedy.
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- Robert said...
- Posted on May 27 2011 23:16 I will stfu if i was you this is really really funny
- Report as inappropriate
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- Antwan said...
- Posted on May 25 2011 06:37 Wow, Zach Galifinakis is quite possibly the only original comedian out there. He uses the awkward bearded intelligent man approach, better than your Dane Cooks...I suppose ever since Jonny Carson left his 10:30 slot you've never looked at comedy the same. Go watch Monty Python and soil your diapers old man.
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- Thomas Noctor said...
- Posted on Jul 02 2010 18:04 I'm a retard? WTF? Who asked for your opinion? Idiot
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- chris the twat said...
- Posted on Jul 01 2010 15:00 Gerald,you need to seriuoulsy meet more interesting people and get out of being stuck in 1998
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- Gerald said...
- Posted on Jul 01 2010 10:06 chris you're an idiot. grow a pair of balls and quit crying like a little girl.
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- Gerald said...
- Posted on Jul 01 2010 10:03 Tom, with a due respect, you're a ritard. yes, a ritard, like rainman. you guys are probably twins. this movie was hilarious. by far the funniest thing i've seen in a long time
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- chris the twat said...
- Posted on Mar 09 2010 12:29 exactly,thats what you need to be asking yourself
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- Thomas Noctor said...
- Posted on Mar 09 2010 09:21 Why do I need medical help Doc?
- Report as inappropriate
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- chris the twat said...
- Posted on Mar 09 2010 03:31 thomas thomas you really do need to get some medical help
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- Thomas Noctor said...
- Posted on Mar 09 2010 01:55 Meet the parents good but not as good as The Hangover, Zoolander is dirt! Next you'll be telling me Anchor Man is good!
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- chris the twat said...
- Posted on Mar 08 2010 22:33 compare it to zoolander or meet the parents -they are in different galaxies,never mind leagues
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- Thomas Noctor said...
- Posted on Mar 08 2010 21:46 Well you must have been indoors alot because it was a huge cinema! Define a good comedy? Bambi?
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- chris the twat said...
- Posted on Mar 08 2010 18:52 thats why i worry for the future of humanity Thomas-allthough its only a hit on dvd which is encoraging as it means all the single brain celled amaebas are indoors and out of the way
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Sasha Barrese, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Mike Tyson, Mike Epps full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Rated: 15
Duration: 100 mins
UK Release: Jun 12 2009
US Release: Jun 5 2009
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