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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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- BIOSONIC BLITZ said...
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Posted on Jun 14 2009 17:48
Great film, very funny although admittedly if you have seen the trailer beforehand you will have seen approx 40% of the laugh inducing scenes.
I recommend it to anyone with reasonable expectations of their films and an ability to find simple slapstick, crude humour and a very strange bearded man entertaining. - Report as inappropriate
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- em 19 said...
- Posted on Jun 14 2009 16:52 I think the person who wrote this review needs to get a life! This film was hillarous! Its a comedy, its not real life. Catch a grip and stop reading to much into what is supposed to be a bit of fun! And yeah i'm a woman!
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- Jordan said...
- Posted on Jun 14 2009 13:08 OH MY GOD!!!!! This was an awesome film... so funny i couldnt stop laughing through it...people who didnt laugh need to get a life =) coz it was so good every one in the cinema was laughing to it... going back to see it... people have got 2 watch this film!! And ive been 2vegas so it was good to see the film to! Mwah x
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- g.a. said...
- Posted on Jun 14 2009 07:22 Ignore the negative reviews. This movie was extremely entertaining. I'm still laughing hours later just thinking about it. Must see.
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- Rembrandt said...
- Posted on Jun 13 2009 22:52 This has to be the mosy unfunniest film I have ever wasted my money and a Saturday night on. The storyline is poor and seemd to have odd scenes that didn't belong! Where did black doug come from? Some of the "funny "bits were done over 70 years ago by Laurel and Hardy. Total rubbish
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- al said...
- Posted on Jun 13 2009 15:45 I havent actually seen the film yet but am going to as it seems to be (apart from your site) pretty much niversally critically acclaimed with empire, total film and even the guardian giving this film 4 out of 5. This review seems to be going against the wave of critical opinion that this film is hilarious.
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- ARCHGATE said...
- Posted on Jun 13 2009 09:33 Not bad. should have been a lot better but fails because the main characters simply lack the chemistry amongst each other for the film to pull the audience in. Shame because the bearded dude seemed to be the only one with genuine comic skills. Probably worth seeing for his performance alone.
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- PowerRangerYELLOW said...
- Posted on Jun 13 2009 04:35 I didn't laugh once while watching the hangover and i usually love trash comedies. :(
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- Daniel said...
- Posted on Jun 13 2009 00:54 I agree completely with this review. Everyone I talk to claims this movie to be the funniest things that they have ever seen. This movie is filled with humor that you have to laugh at because it is too over the top and stereotypical of any vegas trip that youve heard of. To be honest I think this movie is just far to over rated. The funniest part of the movie is the credits with the pictures from the night before. Other than that, the entire movie is just a weak attempt at trying to make a classic film by using over the topr humor. To say the least the movie is very unoriginal..
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- AJ said...
- Posted on Jun 12 2009 16:28 here here PG!!
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- PG said...
- Posted on Jun 12 2009 16:15 very annoyed by the Time Out review - usually agree with most their point of you but on this one he's planty wrong. This film is hilarious and probably the funniest film I've ever seen. Might not be the finest but every single person in the room were laughing non-stop. We're reviewing a comedy here which is meant to be funny which it is. Also disagree on the cast as I think they are all brilliant (except Mike T who's not necessary), an A-list actor would have blown it away. Well done Todd Phillips and thanks for this amazing comedy!
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- Vicki said...
- Posted on Jun 12 2009 11:50 I was surprised by how funny this film is. If you go expecting the type of humour you'll get - you'll enjoy it. It's a great way to spend 2 hours chilling out. As a woman I was not offended, I did think the chinese villain however was a little too crass. Enjoy it for what it is - mindless fun.
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- Carl said...
- Posted on Jun 11 2009 20:45 Just watched this.......please dont be put off by any negative comments as I nearly was when I read the reviews before I left earlier.......the film is awesome, one of those that you are glad you saw first istead of hearing it from someone else, then hearing about it so many times by the time you do watch it you feel like you have seen it already. Treat yourself and go and see this. The way the film was put together is really quite clever, and Mike Tyson? Just brill..........
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- Diabolical said...
- Posted on Jun 11 2009 10:21 I also saw a preview last night and was slightly embarassed to be sharing it with people who thought it was a funny film. Each time they laughed I wanted to ask if they were happy being morons but I stopped myself as I suspected their answer would be yes.
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- AJ said...
- Posted on Jun 10 2009 13:00 Saw a preview last night, was a very funny film (in the most part) spoilt by the mike tyson cameo & some american-only humor. on the whole this is how a comedy should be, wrong wrong wrong & very funny, rude & crude.
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Now showing
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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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