The Hangover

Middle age men acting like juveniles for the sake of silly gross-out comedy. Except for slasher films this is my least favorite genre of film. These exercises in the ridiculous, most often perpetrated by a Saturday Night Live alum, are cheap and lazy attempts at filmmaking. They substitute caricature for character and almost never rise above the humor level of a High School freshman. I despise them. Zucker Brothers, hate 'em. Will Farrell movies, yuck. Adam Sandler flicks, stupid. "Wayne's World", "Something About Mary", "Kingpin"? I'd rather get my eyebrows waxed. Even "Tropic Thunder" lost me with the blood sucking of a severed head. Can't stand these types of movies. They're are silly and pointless and wastes of talent. (Except for Rob Schneider movies-he has no talent to waste) Okay, you get my point.
So why did I see "The Hangover"? Well, I got sucked in by the revues and there was a midnight showing. And guess what? Laughed my ass off. This is a sure sign that the apocalypse is on the way.
Here I think is the difference. Plausibility. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the behavior in this film is PROBABLE. Certainly not. But it MIGHT have happened. The possibility that these characters exist in the world somewhere is there. Unlike Will Farrell's tights-wearing skater or Sandler's idiotic Little Nicky or even Robert Downey Jr.'s (much acclaimed)skin-dyed Australian, who exist only in the sketch comedy-tainted minds of SNL graduates, the entire far-fetched scenario of "The Hangover" belongs to this world. I know it isn't a likely or even likable world (neither is Vegas)but at least it's a world I could buy into. And even better, there's a mystery to solve here. Where the hell is the groom? That's the hook. That's what draws you in. And even the answer to that riddle is plausible. You almost want to smack your forehead with your palm. Of course that's where he is! It all make sense now.
Why did I like "The Hangover"? Because silly is easy but story is hard. Besides, who doesn't love a movie where someone dry humps a tiger?