Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Updates:

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

Bookmark

User reviews of this film

dean singleton said...

Posted on Jul 06 2009 23:57 worst movie ever. even worse than confessions of a shopaholic.

Report as inappropriate
helen said...

Posted on Jul 06 2009 07:03 I was so excited going to see this film, after such fantastic reports on just how funny it was, but i am sorry to say I didn't find it funny at all. I couldn't even muster up a snigger, and it's not because i don't usually like daft comedy- I do... I just found this one to be rubbish!

Report as inappropriate
vicktoria said...

Posted on Jul 05 2009 22:06 i thought this film was very good people that didnt find this film funny need to grow up and get a sence off humor

Report as inappropriate
vicktoria said...

Posted on Jul 05 2009 22:06 i thought this film was very good people that didnt find this film funny need to grow up and get a sence off humor

Report as inappropriate
Gaynor said...

Posted on Jul 03 2009 13:26 This film was AWESOME. Personally I don't see how anyone could have disliked the film but I guess it's all down to each individuals taste.
But still, this film is amazing.

Report as inappropriate
Gaynor said...

Posted on Jul 03 2009 13:26 This film was AWESOME. Personally I don't see how anyone could have disliked the film but I guess it's all down to each individuals taste.
But still, this film is amazing.

Report as inappropriate
Jon said...

Posted on Jul 02 2009 15:59 For all of you people that didn't like this movie....what did you expect when you went? Seriously idiotic comments from people that had to envision exactly what the movie provided....and a special comment for all of you women with such a shallow sense of humor that you feel the movie set you back a hunderd years....wahhhh!! Grow up, loosen up, and try having sex with the lights on....I respect women, not so much the stupid ones.........

Report as inappropriate
Danielle said...

Posted on Jun 30 2009 18:31 BESTT FILM EVERRRRRRR

Report as inappropriate
John Roberts said...

Posted on Jun 30 2009 11:42 Great film!!!!
reminds me of my hangover though har har har!!!!!
i AM gay!
great film though guys!!!love it!!!!
i have a MIGRAINE!!!
ahhhhhh!
ahhhh
AHHHHH
LOVE STACEY AND MORG

Report as inappropriate
John Roberts said...

Posted on Jun 30 2009 11:42 Great film!!!!
reminds me of my hangover though har har har!!!!!
i AM gay!
great film though guys!!!love it!!!!
i have a MIGRAINE!!!
ahhhhhh!
ahhhh
AHHHHH
LOVE STACEY AND MORG

Report as inappropriate
genie said...

Posted on Jun 30 2009 06:25 I applaud Todd Phillips for saying what no one else would. I too feel that while this movie was entertaining in a dumb sort of way, the underlying message was disturbing. As a woman I do not like this movie for the same reason I imagine most men do not like watching Thelma & Louise ( which I also didn't care for either). Gender bashing is fun for people who secretly hate the opposite sex. How many more decades do we have to endure the same old tired female stereotypes ?

Report as inappropriate
craig said...

Posted on Jun 29 2009 22:05 quality

Report as inappropriate
Matt said...

Posted on Jun 29 2009 15:38 Leaving the cinema at the end of this extremely funny film which had the whole audience in hysterics throughout, the comments on everyone's lips, boys' and girls' alike, were things like "awesome" and "excellent". I can't remember a film which has had me laughing more. Most of the laughs come from the utter absurdity of three quarters of what happens in the film, some of which is quite outrageous and some of which is perfectly respectable. If I had to find fault with this film, one of the crucial twists is very, very predictable (not the exact twist but the general idea - here's a non-spoiler clue, it's all in black and white), and the singer near the end is only 75% on target. OK, OK, some of the humour lacks what stuffy pretentious critics might think of as sophistication and refinement. But anyone who would give this film less than four stars really needs to pull that rod out of their rear end and get a sense of humour, IMHO, YMMV. It's no help to the public to be told that this film is rubbish and only worth two stars when in fact it's going to have them in fits of laughter.
I don't think this film should be classed as offensive to women or ethnic minorities (even the Chinese - OMG, the Chinese guy is just amazing! There should have been more of him!). As with any film, you're really laughing at the guys' antics. Yes, the bitchy girlfriend is a terrible, terrible bitch, but that's just one female character, and she's balanced by other far more sympathetic female characters, and more than one truly pathetic male loser.
It's not really sex-based humour like American Pie either - it's more absurdity-based humour like Borat, although sex-humour does get a look-in.
I gave this film five stars. Had to think about that. Was it a four, or a five? In the end I'm giving it five stars because I can't recall ever seeing a film where I laughed more. I've seen films which had me laughing harder (Borat, American Pie), but not right throughout the film.

Report as inappropriate
teapot said...

Posted on Jun 28 2009 07:28 I think that the fact that the cast was made up of relatively unknown actors really added to "normal guys" persona of the movie. I usually don't think this type of movie is all that great (type= Old School, Zach & Miri, 49 year old virgin, etc), but I loved this. Best comedy in years.

Report as inappropriate
bel m said...

Posted on Jun 27 2009 17:54 although a baby "masterbating" isnt quite every1s cup of tea, i found this film too b lol hilarious, u can leave your brain at the door and just marvel at these guys trying too recollect what they had got up to the night before and where the groom was. the scene with the kids tazering them was so funny, my bf and i were still laughing about it about an hour after we watched it, deffo 1 too watch

Report as inappropriate