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.
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