The Hangover gave me a headache! (The Hangover (DVD))

Member Name: dididave

Product:	The Hangover (DVD)
Date:	02/08/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tries to be different, Heather Graham

Disadvantages: No life in acting, no humour.

Doug and his three friends go to Las Vegas for the stag night to end all stag nights. Unfortunately, the next morning Doug is missing and his friends have no recollection of the night before. Can they retrace their steps and find him so he doesn't miss his wedding?

"The Hangover" is dire, it really is. I tend to like this brand of mindless comedy. After all some of my favourite films include "The Wedding Crashers" and "American Pie". However, I like these films because they are funny from start to finish. "The Hangover" fails due to the fact that it offers so little in the way of laughs that it is almost not a comedy at all. Rarely have I seen a film so devoid of humour. It is always a bad sign when the funniest bit of a movie appears in the trailer and if the star of any film is a cameo from Mike Tyson, you really should go back to the drawing board.

I do appear to be on my own in my view of this film but I just don't get it. While people around me were howling with laughter when they find a tiger in their bathroom I remained nonplussed. This is a film were I felt throughout like I was missing some sort of private joke that everyone else understood. The road trip movie has been done a million times better in other films such as "Dude, Where's My Car" and the flat jokes were matched by equally flat performances.

Now I have to admit to having no idea who the majority of the lead actors are. Regardless of this though they give a variety of wooden and clichéd performances. Naturally for this sort of movie there is the straight one who loosens up, the stoner and the jock. However, there is a lack of enthusiasm in all these roles and you never really become involved in their stories. It is left to the usual weird and wonderful supporting role from the ever entertaining Heather Graham as a Vegas stripper to add some life to proceedings.

"The Hangover" at least tries to offer something different by unravelling the story in the form of a paper trail mystery. This at least adds a new idea to the film. Unfortunately, because I couldn't care less if they found Doug or not, I couldn't invest myself in any part of it.

Despite all the plaudits this film seems to be receiving, I cannot recommend it. It is very dull, lacking in humour and the cast put no energy into their roles. Indeed it is a sad state of affairs when the most exciting part of a film happens in the credits.

Summary: Avoid like a real hangover