Movie Review - The Hangover

Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis. Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material.

It's hard to review an R rated raunchy comedy as I can't really say what they've done as it would ruin the joke and quite possibly offend those who don't want to know. The Hangover is full of offensive type moments that somehow seem hilarious when it's happening to a few guys on the big screen.

The Hangover is a movie about a quartet of guys headed to Las Vegas for one of the guys bachelor parties. The movie starts with them heading out in Las Vegas and then skips forward to the morning after with the hotel room crashed and the one guy that is supposed to be getting married missing. The rest of the movie is about trying to find him and figure out what happened last night as they can't remember.

(L-r) ZACH GALIFIANAKIS as Alan, Baby Tyler, BRADLEY COOPER as Phil and ED HELMS as Stu in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' comedy "The Hangover," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

The premise is similar but different enough to seem original and the actors/actresses involved are all very talented - much more talented than needed for this fluff which ends up bringing the entire movie into a higher category. This is a great thing as the characters have some depth and emotion invested in them that the audience can easily attach to which is largely what makes The Hangover so appealing and likable. Without the stellar performances, The Hangover would have been a direct to DVD release.

I had a great time watching this flick and highly recommend it if you enjoy R rated comedies that try to push the envelope just enough to make you squirm a bit, while relying on sentimental attachments to make you feel good at the end. The Hangover is one of those films that many critics have latched onto the word 'Bromance' to describe and I would say it is just as appropriate here as it ever was.

The Hangover is playing at Cinema 3 in McCook. Check www.fridleytheatres.com for showtimes. Don't forget - Transformers 2 is coming! Buy your midnight premiere tickets at Game On now! I'm on twitter - www.twitter.com/divinefilms - follow me!