The Hangover Part III (2013)
Certified: 16
Duration: 100 minutes
Director: Todd Philips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, John Goodman, Gillian Vigman, Sasha Barrese, Jamie Chung
KRS release

The wolf pack makes a return to hangover debauchery after their stints in Las Vegas and Thailand. Doug (Justin Bartha), Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms) have now decided that it is high time that their friend, and Doug’s brother-in-law, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is taken to a medication centre and hopefully rehabilitated.

The debris and mess these men leave behind is simply incredible and nothing is sacred

Alan is mentally still a child, and he shifts from moments of calm to sheer aggression in the blink of an eye. Obviously enough, trouble ensues on the way to the rehabilitation centre.

First off, they meet tough guy Marshall (John Goodman) and his henchman who are really angry because they believe the boys had stolen millions in gold bars from Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) and these belonged to him. Meanwhile, Chow has just escaped from prison and Marshall wants the gold back. So he abducts Doug and threatens that if Phil, Alan and Stu do not find Chow and get him his gold back, their friend would end up dead.

The trio finds that Chow is on his way to Mexico and thus they follow him to Tijuana, where they plan to kidnap him back to the US. Chow is, however, quite a handful and the group ends up in Las Vegas with proceedings running round full circle to the first film.

The first Hangover film, released in 2009, cashed in over $450 million in box-office takings and became the most successful adult-oriented comedy of all time.

Two years later, The Hangover Part II outdid its predecessor in terms of money, with an intake of $580 million at the box office, but not in terms of critics’ reviews.

The biggest flaw of the second feature was that it was an almost frame-by-frame replica of the first movie, with the only difference being the setting: Thailand instead of Las Vegas.

This third outing is better than the previous film: it is still enveloped by dark humour, gross-out crassness and over-the-top chaotic madness but it has a new look to it, a fresh take and the characters are more developed.

This film will make one feel for the wolf pack as we see them going through one escapade after another in what is being rumoured to be the final act.

Director Todd Philips, who has worked with Cooper and co. since the first film, takes the chance with the second sequel to actually get to know the characters, focus on them and leave the profane comedy on the sidelines.

The Hangover fans should, however, not worry as the anarchic elements are still present in abundance and the film delivers laughs and heart.

The advantage this third movie has over its predecessor is its ability to always seem to be on the move.

The way the character of Chow is introduced in the film leads to more moments of unbridled lunacy.

The debris and mess that these men leave behind is simply incredible and nothing is sacred. The return to Las Vegas is welcome and also well handled, with the comedy here taking on a slapstick form.

From the sorry end of a giraffe to wild partying, to the search for gold and a case of mistaken identity, the film is not afraid to be risky. Yet this time, it discards the piecing-together-of-what-happened-last-night structure and is firmly focused on the chase. From the cast, it is Goodman as the film’s tough guy who emerges with the best attitude.

The Hangover Part III self-parodies itself with gusto and if this is meant to be the last instalment, it will leave us all with one big bang.