John’s Movie Musings

Have you heard?  There’s a movie out called The Hangover and it’s so funny, it gives you a license to annoy the crap out of all your friends who haven’t seen it.  While those around you may develop a nascent hatred when you spout knowledge of tigers and cinnamon, you can rest in the only security that comes with seeing the funniest movie of the year.

But seriously.  Don’t you hate it when people tell you about funny movies you must see?  If the conversation ended there I wouldn’t mind so much, but it’s always followed by bad retellings of twenty jokes that ruin everything when you finally get my butt to the theater.  That happened with Tropic Thunder.  (which reminds me, I should watch that again now that I’ve forgotten everything.  It might be hilarious the second time around).

The Hangover is your basic Ugly Guys in Vegas movie.   Know the difference between those and Pretty Guys in Vegas movies?  Ugly Guys = Bachelor Parties.  Pretty Guys = Casino Heists.  Anyway, these guys wake up from a night of partying and can’t remember a thing.  The rest of the movie revolves around them trying to piece together the events of the past night.  Sort of like Memento with strippers.  But if everything that happened in Vegas stayed there, there wouldn’t be much point in going to the theater (Guinness and fried pickles notwithstanding.  Cinebarre has become my new friend).

If I had to rank The Hangover in the list of R-rated comedies, it would be not as funny as Old School, but far better and not as crude as Superbad.  There are real jokes here and not just a game of “Let’s See How Many Dick Jokes We Can Make In Two Hours.”

Grade: B