The wolf-pack is back, getting caught up in a mess and it’s all Alan’s fault (again). Silly Alan. For those who have followed the “Hangover” bro-mance, we all expect three things from these types of movies. 1) Over-the-top hilarious lines from Zach Galifianakis’ character, 2) Phil, Stu, Doug and Alan finding themselves in a disastrous situation, and 3) Leslie Chow showing up either naked and/or with a line of cocaine. Part III of what might be more than a trilogy, meets all of the above requirements and then some. For all fellow film critics, let’s not kid ourselves here: this isn’t supposed to be Shakespeare.
Although the film’s promos state, “It all ends here,” I’m fairly confident that Todd Phillips and Craig Mazin’s screenplay is a setup for yet another sequel (whether or not it was on purpose). The outlandish story and twists exceed “The Hangover II.” It’s been two years since the boys have returned from their Bangkok mayhem. Stu has lasered off his face tattoo and life seems to be back to normal. That is until Alan’s father passes away and our favorite bearded man-child refuses to take his medication(s). After Phil, Stu and Doug agree to drive Alan to a rehabilitation center in Arizona, they are side-tracked when a drug lord (John Goodman) threatens Doug’s life if they do not find Chow, who owes a $20 million-plus debt. So they set out in search of dear Chow, and where do they end up but back in Las Vegas… where everything went wrong at Doug’s bachelor party years ago.
No question, Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong make this movie. The character of Alan is even more extreme; accidentally decapitating a giraffe and singing opera at his father’s funeral is just a taste of how high the ‘ridiculous’ bar has been raised for Part III. And if the Alan and Chow team weren’t enough, there are a few priceless scenes between Galifianakis and… drum roll… Melissa McCarthy. Who would’ve thought the two comedic geniuses would make the perfect on-screen couple? As director Todd Phillips says, “This one is Alan’s story.” As for Bradley Cooper, he always does a good job being the golden boy and Alan’s knight-in-shining armor. Ed Helms is, of course, the gutless dentist and the one who always gets ‘screwed’ in the end {SPOILER ALERT} – this time not by a transgender hooker. As for John Goodman, I think Phillips said it best, “It’s hard not to love John Goodman. He’s so versatile. He can play steely and dead-serious or completely whacked out, or a combination of both.”
Whether or not this is the ‘epic conclusion’ to the iconic wolf-pack adventures, “The Hangover Part III” could very well be the best of the film series. There are enough jaw-dropping, laugh-out-loud moments to make this a winner. And if you find yourself actually caring about crazy ol’ Alan… I think you’ll agree too.
By Pamela Price
In Theaters Memorial Day Weekend
