Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis

Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can...( read more  read more... )'t remember a thing. For some reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite at Caesars Palace. The one thing they can't find is Doug. With no clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their hazy steps and all their bad decisions in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time to walk down the aisle.

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87% liked it

762,429 ratings

Critics

78% liked it

193 critics

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Release Date: June 5, 2009

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DVD Release Date: December 15, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (65,891)


  • September 25, 2009
    The ultimate buddy comedy. It's Dude Wheres My Car meets The Bachlor Party. A flat-out and laugh out-loud comedy that will have you falling out of your seat because it's so funny. A rollar-coaster ride of exhilerating fun that never lets up. It's gut-busting and utterly outragiou...( read more)s. A smart, sharp, well-character developed and fresh comedy with some of the wildest and craziest antics i've seen in a film for a while. Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis bring on the laughs from begining to the hysterical conclusion. Their comic chemistry is solid gold. Mike Tyson and Mike Epps deliver outragious cameos. The perfect comedy. It's wildly entertaining, wonderfully hysterical and utterly enjoyable. There is no way that you cant enjoy this movie, it's just that great to watch. I loved it.
  • August 31, 2009
    So I really didn't want to see this movie, thought this might be another one of those not so funny guy flix, but I'm actually glad I sat down and watched it. These guys went through hell...and they had me rolling. What a crazy trip, imagine going out one night, waking u the next ...( read more)day with everythng in pieces and you hve no clue hat happen. it was fiunny...If you like silly humor this is the movie for you. Glad i took the time you should check it out too...
  • August 30, 2009
    Usually when people talk about hangovers they usually meant about the day after drinking a lot. In this case The Hangover is the most ingenious comedy I've seen in the year. Directed by Todd Phillips, The Hangover contains all kind of comedy and humor existed in this world. It is...( read more) an hour and a half full of laughs. It is cleverly written, Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. The movie follows a fast paced rhythm, a very nice thin for the viewer because you never get tired or bored. It also has some great locations in Las Vegas, in fact you can see two different faces of Vegas, one at night so glamorous and shiny and the other in the desert with amazing landscapes. Another thing you appreciate from the movie is its wonderful soundtrack, the music is so good and every song in it fits to the perfection with every scene in the film. The cast is excellent every actor and actress delivers an excellent and convincing performance specially Zach Galifianakis as Alan, he was so funny and the special appearance from Mike Tyson was great. The Hangover only purpose is to entertain people and I'm sure people will enjoy every minute of it. In conclusion, it is the best comedy of the year.
  • August 27, 2009
    Zach Galifianakis is hilarious, that's all I have to say about it..
  • August 23, 2009
    Most great comedies are based on fundamental truths -- we find a deal of humour in the illumination of our own human tragedy. Office Space is funny, for example, because we've all worked that type of job, put up with that type of boss, and suffered that type of monotonous everyda...( read more)y boredom.

    Todd Phillips' new movie, The Hangover, is as aptly titled as anything else released this year: it's about a Vegas bachelor party gone horribly awry, in which the groom inexplicably disappears, no one can remember a damned thing, and Mike Tyson wants his tiger back.

    Yes, we've all had those nights, though perhaps not to such extremes (that's where the exaggeration of comedy serves us). The Hangover is funny because it takes this cultural ritual -- an American tradition; something almost all of us can relate to -- and finds genuine humour in the pain of its aftermath.

    I concede that bachelor party movies are not in short supply; the genre (if it is, indeed, a genre) should have probably both begun and ended with the Tom Hanks flick almost three decades ago. But The Hangover wisely studies the day after rather than the day itself; this is funnier because the plot works backwards, without tacky flashbacks, and much of the evening in question is left to our imagination.

    While it would be misleading to claim this is a brilliant film (in either regard ? as comedy or character study), it's an assured picture that finds its footing immediately and achieves a surprising level of sustenance throughout its running time. And frankly, let's be honest, this is a breath of fresh air: it's one of the best R-rated comedies of the decade, and certainly the most uproarious since Superbad was released two years ago. Most R-rated comedies produced today are defiant; the R-rating has become a hindrance to film studios' sensibilities ? everything is PG-13, saving the shameless Unrated schpeel for the DVD cut. The occasional theatrically-released R-rated comedy, as such, is infrequently modest; the ads stress the rating to remind us what we've been missing. For every legitimate offer, such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, we're treated to movies like College that attempt to lure us into theaters based on the promise of raunchy decadence. The problem is that it's all so coldly calculated; these films are not funny because a majority of the time they are simply lazy and dishonest.

    The simplest reason for The Hangover's success in being genuinely funny is the fact that it achieves a rare balance of character and vulgarity. We laugh at the characters' misfortunes because we like them, we empathize with them, and they are distinctly actualized. Are they stereotypical? To a certain degree, sure: we have the repressed pussy-whipped guy who obeys his girlfriend's every command (Ed Helms); the weird John Belushi-esquire figure who speaks in non sequiturs and naïve absurdities (Zach Galifianakis); and the womanizer whose confidence renders him automatic leader of the group (Bradley Cooper). It's a testament to the strengths of these actors that they make their characters endearing and believable, even in the face of total lunacy.

    Helms has been an underrated highlight of the American Office for the past several years, never quite earning the praise he deserves. His character on the show is played with pitch-perfect perversity: he's not overtly creepy (like the program's other weirdo, Creed), but rather subtly unnerving. Helms invests a great deal of nuance into what is ostensibly a throwaway, supporting goofball; this movie, if nothing else, will justly reveal his talents.

    Cooper uses his looks to his advantage: it's funny to watch handsome people exploit their securities. Cooper essentially turns your typical Leading Man figure into a bumbling idiot, self-absorbed and clueless. It's effective, he's got great chemistry with the other guys, and it's fun to watch such an immoral and ruthless character take center stage in a mainstream comedy.

    Galifianakis, a cult comedian who I've admired for years, has been struggling quite a while. Not many people other than myself and Sean Penn saw his 2001 comedy Out Cold, probably because it wasn't all that great; but he was easily the most amusing aspect of the picture. He once described himself as being gifted by the opposite of the Midas touch, with more than a few canceled TV shows to his credit (including Comedy Central's unheralded Dog Bites Man), but it seems his persistence has finally paid off: he has discovered, at last, a movie of strong enough quality to reflect his talents. Galifianakis has a fair share of the film's funniest dialogue; as far as fat funny guys go, many of them (such as Chris Farley) made the ill-fated mistake of playing dumb in a sharp fashion: hurtful quips and silly one-liners, all self-aware. Galifianakis plays his character straight and the laughs are subsequently heartier; when he embraces his brother-in-law while nude, the act seems innocently awkward rather than deliberately awkward, and that's what makes it so funny. He's described in The Hangover, by another character, as a child with a beard. Imagine how funny it is when he names a Caucasian baby Carlos, without any shred of condescension or knowing humour.

    The Hangover is surely destined to become the sleeper comedy hit of 2009, and, more likely, a cult flick in the years to come. It's more deserving of such acknowledgment than many recent successes, and while we may live in an era saturated with unnecessary sequels, I actually left The Hangover hoping to see these guys again. And that's a rare feeling these days.
  • November 23, 2009
    Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to you the Zach Galifianakis and the naked Chinese man stuffed in teh car trunk show.
  • November 22, 2009
    One of the rare comedies that are awesome these days!
  • November 22, 2009
    possibly the best comedy of the year and of recent times.haven't seen a comedy that was this funny without relying on the cliche of body fluids or toilet humor.praise to Todd Philips and the cast.
  • November 22, 2009
    It's pretty much crap. There's some funny lines, but it just doesn't flow. It should have been called "Lost Night in Vegas" or something, which would have made a lot more sense. They didn't seem hungover at all the next day, they pretty much woke up and were fine except they didn...( read more)'t know what happened. This was a rip-off of "Dude Where's My Car" but not as funny or creative.
  • November 21, 2009
    One of the funniest movies this year.

Critic Reviews


June 17, 2009
Armond White, The New York Press

Rising-star Bradley Cooper and gang represent the dirtbag element that has become acceptable in contemporary comedy. full review

June 12, 2009
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

Laugh? Well, at least, on a tough Tuesday in Tube-meltdown London, one chuckled. full review

June 8, 2009
Kurt Loder, MTV

While its boisterous fun has strong libidinous overtones, it never takes the plunge into full, frothing raunch. full review

June 7, 2009
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

Amusing but a bit overrated. Yes, it's a great comic premise but only partially fulfilled in a raucous summer comedy aimed squarely at the frat boy in all of us. full review

June 5, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

The Hangover is a cut above the typical contemporary guy-friendship comedy. full review

June 5, 2009
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

The Hangover should be a huge hit this summer for laugh-starved audiences; happily, it delivers. full review

June 5, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Outrageousness proves hard to sustain, and after a stomach-lurchingly quick start, The Hangover slows down and, by the third act, fizzes out like Alka-Seltzer in a highball glass. full review

June 5, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The Hangover ain't art, but Phillips has shaped the hardcore hilarity into the summer party movie of all our twisted dreams. full review

June 5, 2009
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

What hangover? This movie is safe as milk. full review

June 4, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The latest in the wave of post-Judd Apatow Bad Lad comedies, The Hangover is rowdy, scurrilous, and, for about three-quarters of its running time, a lot more hilarious than it has any right to be. full review

View more The Hangover reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • percyma
    July 21, 2009
    The Hangover is kind of ridiculous, but it plays it straight for maximum effect. It's an exaggeration of everybody's messiest night out. The detective work required to discover the source of a simple
  • philophil
    July 19, 2009
    It's been a long while since I laughed out loud at a movie, and this picture just had my ribs cracking from the beginning to the very end. It's the kind of movie that says: THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU AND YOUR BUDDIES.
  • liriik
    July 2, 2009
    for me the best movie of 2009 .
  • candylamer
    June 15, 2009
    THIS MOVIE WAS FUNNY AND WAS REALLY SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN ON A ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR DRUNK BUDDIES.
  • JamesThePirate
    June 12, 2009
    Finally a comedy that is free of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and other Judd Apatow "actors"! I thought I would never see the day!

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The Hangover Trivia


  • In "Knocked Up", what does Ben think are the two best things to do or have when you wake up in the morning and have a hangover?   Answer »
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