Film Review: The Hangover Part III

The Hangover Part III fails to recapture the humour of the franchise’s first film, but entertains sufficiently.

After Alan comes off his medication, his family stage an intervention. The wolfpack agree to drive Alan to a treatment facility. Once on the road, however, things don’t go according to plan…

The Hangover Part III is an improvement on the second film in that it at least modifies the narrative. The basic formula is still apparent, but Part III does not adhere to the flashback format of the previous two films.

This is not to say that The Hangover Part III feels particularly fresh however. Much of the humour relies upon familiarity with the characters from the franchise. The film does not feel particularly raucous; a hallmark of the previous two adventures. This is in spite of some expensive set pieces, which are not as amusing as perhaps director and co-writer Todd Phillips intended.

The film loses its momentum in the final third. This is coincides with a shift in mood. There is a little more emphasis on a more serious aspect in this final episode. Alan, the standout character from the first film, is on both a physical and metaphorical journey. Phillips must hope by this time that the audience really care about the characters. Some avid fans no doubt will, while others will find the more emotional scenes a bit dull.

There are plenty of moments to cause titters, but few real laugh out loud moments. That is the real crux; viewers will want The Hangover Part III to be funnier than it actually is. The cast reprise their roles adequately, although Bradley Cooper’s Phil is often played as frustrated and over the situation. Perhaps not much acting was required for this.

Fans of the franchise will go and see the film and laugh, but perhaps not as often as they would like. Those not overly enamoured with the wolfpack will give The Hangover Part III a wide berth.

Stuff To Look At

Some trailers, some posters and details on the End of Watch tweet-along…

End of Watch Tweet-Along

To celebrate the release of End of Watch on DVD and Blu-Ray on Monday 18th March 2013, a tweet-along event has been organised. Those who buy copies of the film are invited to take part on Twitter, starting the film at 8pm GMT, using the hashtag #WatchYourSix. I have know idea what this refers to (I haven’t seen End of Watch yet) so don’t spoil it for me!

The Place Beyond The Pines

Oh look, here’s a poster for upcoming crime drama The Place Beyond The Pines. I have heard good things about this film, so I am really looking forward to it. Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes, The Place Beyond The Pines hits UK screens on 12th April 2013.

A Late Quartet

I have seen A Late Quartet and I can report it is a good film (review to follow). With an enviable cast which includes Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman, A Late Quartet is a drama about the lives of a string quartet. The film is released in cinemas on 5th April 2013.

The Hangover Part III

For the third and final instalment of The Hangover series, the gang return to where it all started – Las Vegas. I really enjoyed the first film but was not a big fan of the second, so I am hoping this third film will be a return to form. The Hangover Part III is out in UK cinemas on 24th May 2013.

Papadopoulos and Sons

Papadopoulos and Sons is a British comedy drama about two brothers re-opening the fish and chip shop they ran in their youth. This film stars Stephen Dillane and his son Frank Dillane as father and son. Papadopoulos and Sons has a limited UK cinema release from 5th April 2013.

Film Review: The Hangover Part II

After the enormous and unexpected success of The Hangover, it seemed inevitable that there would be a sequel. Although some sequels rival the original in terms of quality, sadly this is not the case with The Hangover Part II.

Stu, Phil, Alan and Doug travel to Thailand for Stu’s upcoming wedding to Lauren. Stu is not keen on having a bachelor’s party, but the guys convince him to have one drink on the beach. When Stu, Phil and Alan wake up the next morning they cannot remember a thing. Moreover, Lauren’s little brother Teddy is missing…

The Hangover Part II follows the exact same formula as its predecessor. It is practically identical, except for the fact that it is set in Thailand for most of the duration. As such, the film offers no surprises; it is incredibly lazy story telling. It lacks the fresh ideas that made the original film so entertaining.

The only aspect of innovation to be found is the pushing of boundaries. Those who thought the first film was debauched will be even less impressed with this effort. In attempting to go one bigger, director and co-writer Todd Phillips includes material that may be offensive to some.

There are some good humorous moments, but these are not enough to sustain the entire film. In re-treading the same steps as The Hangover, Part II makes the aspects that were funny in the 2009 film appear tired and unoriginal. Moreover, elements that worked well in the first film have been pushed too far in this sequel. Alan was a genuinely funny character; an oddball who stole a lot of the scenes in the 2009 film. In realising the character was a hit, Phillips, Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong have amplified the character’s more unusual traits. Rather than making Alan more comedic, this has the opposite effect; his childlikeness grows annoying quickly.

Performances in The Hangover Part II are fine. Ed Helms is energetic as Stu; at times the actor seems desperate to make scenes funnier than they actually are. Bradley Cooper is again attractive but of dubious morals as Phil. Zach Galifianakis is a good comedy actor, but is hampered by the writing. Similar to the 2009 film, Justin Bartha has a small role as Doug. It seems a shame to sideline this character; perhaps his inclusion in Bangkok would have added a new and interesting dimension to the fold. Ken Jeong’s over-the-top Mr Chow is hit and miss.

The Hangover Part II will probably be a success because fans of the first film will flock to see it. Many will surely be disappointed however, as the film is more Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 than The Godfather: Part II.