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The Hangover (2009)

Director: Todd Phillips

Time Out rating

Average user rating

90 reviews

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 2009-06-09 10:57:54

Time Out London Issue 2025, June 11 - 17, 2009

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User reviews of this film

Helen said...

Posted on Jul 25 2009 23:48 The most funniest film ive seen in a long time, it was hillarious, a must see film, fantastic!!!!!

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pete said...

Posted on Jul 20 2009 09:48 Do you want to laugh your socks off go see this movie, forget tedious Bruno. Four guys take a stag trip to Vegas and wake up the next day with a tiger in the bathroom and a baby in the closet. Only they can't remember a thing and they've lost the groom to be ... a tip don't eat anything during the movie - I did and choked laughing and swallowing at the same time.

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Marsellus said...

Posted on Jul 17 2009 13:02 I think the reviewer and the previous poster need a sense-of-humour transplant. This film was awesome and absolutely hilarious. The fact that the WHOLE AUDIENCE was in stitches proves my point. This is the best film out at the minute by a country mile!

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Russell said...

Posted on Jul 15 2009 16:01 If you've been tempted by the trailer maybe you will like it as the trailer shows most of the funny bits, it's handicapped desperately by a cast that is so unlikeable to render anything learned by them in the course of the film meaningless. Heather Graham and Jeffrey Tamor are honourable exception but what a waste of a fine actors, Graham in particular, as usual, lights up the screen but playing a part that even she can only make vaguely 3 dimensional. If you're nothing better to watch maybe you should catch it, otherwise it might be best left till its on the small screen.

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Danielle said...

Posted on Jul 15 2009 10:20 This was the most funnist film going, i Didnt think i would make it all the way through the film i was laughing from start to end:) Had all of the audiance in fits, bext film i would pay the money to watch it again;) THE BEST FILM GOING!!!!

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sarah said...

Posted on Jul 14 2009 15:53 i thought this film was great! Will not fail to make you laugh!

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james said...

Posted on Jul 14 2009 15:17 the funniest film ive seen in a long time, awesome.

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Ashley said...

Posted on Jul 13 2009 13:45 A much better film than the Time Out review leads you to believe, and one that actually benefits from not having stars mugging to the camera, ‘The Hangover’ has a daft plot full of silly gags - it's a bit hit and miss in parts, but hey it's not high art - it's just a fun comedy film... I enjoyed the film a lot, although it was made vastly more enjoyable given the fact that I was accompanied to see the film by a rather beautiful and smart woman who laughed an awful lot throughout it...

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Lauren said...

Posted on Jul 12 2009 20:08 I thought the film was great! I think Jon has issues though i mean to get that pissed off is ridiculous everyone is entitled to their own opinion including women!

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Rachel said...

Posted on Jul 12 2009 18:00 I enjoyed this film and I've only heard very good reports back from friends who have also seen it. It doesn't try too hard to be funny like a lot of other films out there which is refreshing.

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Connor said...

Posted on Jul 12 2009 16:14 Very funny film and i enjoyed it. There are better comedies but this one was still enjoyable and a good watch. Worth the entrance fee

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BobsViews said...

Posted on Jul 11 2009 06:30 I can see why, The Hangover, is of this summer biggest hits. First, it's funny as hell. Second, The Cast play perfectly off each other. Third The Director and Screenwriters did something different with a familiar story. The Hangover thankfully lived up to its hype.
-BobsViews

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dazza n jz said...

Posted on Jul 10 2009 18:01 we thought the film was awesome all of those people who said they didn't like the film should get slapped with a fish because it was hilarious so none of your crap!!!

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LIBBY said...

Posted on Jul 10 2009 11:55 I THOUGHT THE FILM WAS GOOD FUNNY AT TIMES AND BORING IN OTHERS BUT IT WASNT THE WORST MADE FILM IN THE WORLD.IT DIDNT LIVE TO THE RATINGS THOUG.

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marco schalesky said...

Posted on Jul 08 2009 18:58 This movie was lame. The gags were amusing, but really that was the only thing that kept me watching. Bottom line, I could watch Jackass if I wanted to see some hillarious shit without a relevant storyline.
Movie effing SUCKED

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