Recent Hollywood comedies have added an edge of, well, edginess to their fare. The thinking seems to be that the harsher you make the funny, the more chance you have of getting audiences to drop their popcorn.
The newest example of this hard-core approach is “The Hangover,” a movie that crosses “Bachelor Party” with something close to “Deliverance.” It’s funny and appalling in equal doses.
The storytelling set-up in the script by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore is pretty good: Three guys wake up from an all-night bachelor party in Las Vegas, but can’t remember what they did the night before.
They also can’t find the groom.
Which means the bleary trio must re-trace their steps, based on a pocketful of receipts and valet tickets from the night before.
How this is going to explain the live tiger in their hotel-suite bathroom, to say nothing of an equally live baby (thankfully, in a different room from the tiger), is part of the cleverness of the premise.
The three searchers are cool guy Phil (Bradley Cooper), henpecked dentist Stu (Ed Helms of “The Office”) and the groom’s new brother-in-law, Alan (Zach Galifianakis), who’s kind of “special.”
The burly and bearded Galifianakis, a stand-up comedian with a devoted following, is the breakout star of the movie. He looks like John Goodman’s little brother and comes on like the reincarnation of John Belushi, a half-zonked slob in his own little groove.
These guys are frequently subject to bodily trauma, some of which comes at the hands of Mike Tyson (playing himself).
Slapstick is not dead: It still gets laughs when a man is clocked in the head by a car door or hit with a crowbar by a naked dude. And Taser humor? Forget about it.
The loose-limbed, improv nature of “The Hangover” is a trademark of director Todd Phillips, who also did “Old School” and “Starsky and Hutch.” He’ll let a performer waltz into a scene and just rip, as supporting players Ken Jeong and Rob Riggle do here.
The only unusual ingredient is the harshness. The characters aren’t especially likable and some of the gags are crass, even by 2009 Apatow standards (especially in the photo montage that runs during the end credits).
The movie still gets its laughs, even if it’s a mess. But I had the vague feeling of needing a shower afterward.
“The Hangover” ½
Three guys wake up after a bad night in Vegas, and they can’t find the groom. This sturdy premise gives the comic juice to this messy, hardcore comedy, which features a breakout role for stand-up comedian Zach Galifianakis and many scenes of bodily trauma.
Rated: R for language, nudity, violence
Showing: Alderwood, Cinnebare, Everett, Galaxy Monroe, Marysville, Stanwood, Guild 45th, Meridian, Oak Tree, Woodinville, Cascade Mall, Oak Harbor
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