This is a guest review from my friend Steve Oatney. Generally, I run guest reviews of movies when the critic has a strongly divergent opinion to my own or when it’s a movie that I just know I’m not going to see (like a scary horror film or chick flick). Anyway, here we go!
Having recently seen The Hangover, I feel I must start by telling you, I LOVE TO LAUGH!
Having said that, The Hangover succeeded in giving me many reasons to utilize most every form of laugher that I have in my personal bag of chuckles. In the beginning parts of the film, during which we are introduced to our primary, and secondary characters, I found myself giggling and chortling often.
Our main characters are all about to head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party.
Justin Bartha (of the National Treasure films) plays Doug, a regular guy preparing to get married, and our reason for the story. Doug’s pal Phil is played by Bradley Cooper (He’s Just Not That Into You) and is our fun-loving, cool, and cool-headed hipster. Ed Helms plays Stu, the guy for whom we feel pity as he’s in a bad marriage and is almost completely subservient to his domineering wife. Zach Galifianakis (What Happens in Vegas) plays the brother-in-law to be, and is the unpredictable enigma of the group.
This quartet was, in my opinion, the perfect blend of character personalities to follow through the incredible and amazing events that ensue, once they reach Vegas.
My chortles immediately turned to hoots and howls of raucous laughter and then moved into sheer side-splitting, gasping for air, tears in my eyes, guffaws and even a snort, or two!
If you don’t like slapstick and borderline unbelievable situations, don’t see this film. If you do like knock-down drag-out laugh-fests of epic proportion, like I do, then go see The Hangover ASAP! You’ll want to cinch up your belt, tightly, as you may bust a gut.
Guest critic Steve Oatney describes himself thusly: “Superheroes, magical creatures, and space adventurers, oh my! I’ve designed them. I’ve drawn them. And now, I’m critiquing their movies too!”
Awesome! I have a feeling I’m going to like it!