Review of The Hangover Part III (2013) by Nesbitt10 — 23 May 2013

In "The Hangover III," the mystery comes from a reinvented formula; there is no wedding or missing groomsman. No actual hangover to speak of, and a lack of scenarios fueled by alcohol from which to recover. Instead, the film is produced as more of a caper than a comedy. Despite not being 'good' movie: a litany of crude humor that becomes repetitive that falls flat for a majority of the film, the third act does provide a few moments of genuine charm and appeal. And yes, this is a real stretch, but I'm trying.

The latest misadventures by the antisocial man-child Alan (Zach Galifianakis) cause buddies Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Doug (Justin Bartha) to stage an intervention. But on their way to hand deliver Alan to a mental health clinic in Arizona, they experience an intervention of their own. The group is captured by crime kingpin Marshall (John Goodman), who needs their help in tracking down the fugitive Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). Mr. Chow stole $21 million in gold bricks from Marshall, and pressing the "Wolfpack" into service may be the only means of recovery. In the meantime, he'll hold Doug for safekeeping.

"The Hangover III" is the most sentimental, (hence the finale), and yet the darkest of the franchise where the eccentricity doesn't always work as well as it should. To it's credit, there are some escapades and plot twists along the way (from Tijuana to Vegas), and it's never out right boring, all set to a bizarre soundtrack that incorporates Hanson, Danzig, and Schubert.

You get the feeling director Todd Philips would rather be making a straight-up action movie, as opposed to creating a string of comedic episodes. The onscreen disaffection of Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms reeks of paychecks already spent, leaving Zack Galifianakis to fill the void with material that works better around the margins. Ken Jeong reprises his role as a lunatic criminal with the bare minimum of effort. He appears more animated in the Bud Light commercials when compared to this outing. The post-credits epilogue does provide a truly twisted array of images, a fitting send-off for a series recognized as being the highest-grossing R-rated comedies of all time. This is in fact the end and it is what it is. We've had some good laughs. Let's part amicably.