Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'The Hangover'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Las Vegas truly is the stuff of legend. It’s a city of sin where secrets are always destined to remain just that and it is a mystical place when it comes to motion pictures. However, there is a recurring theme when it comes to this glittering oasis in the desert, in that it is a dark and dreary place where dreams often go to die and people struggle to live their lives.  

It's rare to see any truly hilarious film about Vegas, in fact the only other one that comes to mind as I write this is Vegas Vacation, but often times any comedies set in this land of neon are as dark as they come, but there was one film in recent years that managed to finally take the ugly out of Vegas and bring about a rip-roaring comedy with...The Hangover. 

It is a time of celebration. For Phil and Stu, their best friend Doug is getting married and that means it is time for the time-honored tradition of the bachelor party, and they head out to Las Vegas with the bride's brother, Alan, to say goodbye to Doug's bachelor lifestyle. But the party is nothing more than a blank spot in their mind...for someone drugged the men the night before and Doug has gone missing. Now it is a race against time to find their friend in order to get him to the altar on time.   

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​That’s a simple premise to say the least, one that led to a complete and utter comedy phenomenon back in 2009 when this film hit theaters. At the time, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zack Galifianakis were in no way household names before this movie put them on the map. In fact, everything about this film was under the radar, to the point where I remember seeing the trailers for this movie and thinking to myself that this should be a mildly amusing film before heading into the theater, and finding myself gasping for air after laughing so hard. 

This is one of those rare perfect storm comedies, thanks to the right casting, the right premise and jokes that simply don't hold back. It's a raunchy comedy that oddly enough doesn't offend because the jokes are just that hilarious. But the jokes don't work without a quality cast, and Bradley, Ed and Zack are what make this film so memorable. There’s just an incredible, on screen synergy from these three gentlemen and a few scenes stolen by Ken Jeong only add to the experience.  

If by some strange chance you haven't seen The Hangover, and I have no idea how you managed that, watch it. It's a hilarious comedy filled with memorable moments and quotes that will leave you laughing for days. Not to mention, it is a piece of film history quite frankly, since it was once the highest grossing R rated comedy. It's a modern classic to say the least and one to watch over and over again because trust me, there are things you missed while you were doubled over laughing.  

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