The Hangover Part III (2013) - Galifianakis makes the trip worth it

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In black suits and wielding some heavy tools, the star trio is back on this poster for Todd Phillips' The Hangover Part III

Doug gets kidnapped due to a gold theft, which the old acquaintance of the 'Wolf Pack' Leslie Chow was behind. Consequently the trio is forced back together to try to make things right again.

The Hangover Part III is written by Craig Mazin (Senseless (1998)) and great New-Yorker filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Todd Phillips (Road Trip (2000)). It is the third and final film in the Hangover trilogy (2009; 2011).

Without a scrap of thematic weight or any really surprising or innovative finesses story-wise, the commercially mandated film bumbles along on crude remains of the gasoline that spun the original comedy classic. But if you take this as the third Hangover flick that it is and don't expect greatness, chances are you'll be reasonably amused through the unlikelihoods that take place, especially thanks to Zach Galifianakis (Tulip Fever (2017)), who still manages to rake in laughs as the foul fool Alan. - He shares a romantic meeting with Melissa McCarthy (Ghostbusters (2016)) as a Las Vegas pawn shop worker in the film's best scene.

Out-of-control party scenes are not a part of the final Hangover escapade.

 

Related posts:

Todd Phillips: The Hangover Part II (2011) - Phillips & Co. follow up their sensational comedy hit with a disappointing sequel  
Due Date (2010) or, Riding with Tremblay
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]   

The Hangover (2009) - Phillips & Co. hit the mother lode with hilarious crowdpleaser 

Old School (2003) - Some fun in low-brow frat house comedy

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 103 mil. $

Box office: 362 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 3.51 times its cost)

[The Hangover Part III premiered 20 May (Los Angeles) and runs 100 minutes. The star trio, Bradley Cooper (American Hustle (2013)), Ed Helms (Corporate Animals (2019)) and Galifianakis were reportedly each paid 15 mil. $ for their performances, while Ken Jeong (The Opening Act (2020)) got 5 mil. $ for his return. Shooting took place from September - November 2012 in Arizona, Nevada, including in Las Vegas, California, including in Los Angeles, and in Mexico. The film opened #2, behind Fast & Furious 6, to a 41.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 112.2 mil. $ (31 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 31.1 mil. $ (8.6 %) and the UK with 29.5 mil. $ (8.1 %). Phillips returned with War Dogs (2016). Cooper returned in Making a Scene (2013, short) and theatrically in American Hustle (2013); Helms in Arrested Development (2004-13), NTSF:SC:SUV (2011-13) and theatrically in We're the Millers (2013); and Galifianakis in Are You Here (2013). The Hangover Part III is rotten at 20 % with a 4.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Hangover Part III?

The Hangover (2009) - Phillips & Co. hit the mother lode with hilarious crowdpleaser

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+ Best Comedy of the Year

The three crapped-out stars, - and a baby wearing adult-sized sunglasses, invite us to Todd Phillips' The Hangover

Four guys celebrate a bachelor's party in Las Vegas for one of them. Another of them secretly drugs the others to enhance the party, but the morning after the groom is missing, and the remaining three have a baby, Mike Tyson's tiger and a stolen police car that they apparently acquired during their binge.

The Hangover doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does make men and women alike laugh out loud and enjoy themselves silly. Mike Tyson (Signal Lost (2013)), Ken Jeong (Despicable Me 2 (2013)) and Heather Graham (Boogie Nights (1997)) add color to this decidedly colorful fiesta. Rob Riggle (Absolutely Anything (2015)) and Cleo King (Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)) also bring some memorable zaniness.
The four guys' characters, portrayed by Bradley Cooper (Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017)), Ed Helms (The Lorax (2012)), Zach Galifianakis (Little Fish, Strange Pond (2009)) and Justin Bartha (National Treasure (2004)), are in themselves recognizable, funny company.
The Hangover is written by Jon Lucas (Bad Moms (2016)) and Scott Moore (Four Christmases (2008)) and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker Todd Phillips (Due Date (2010)).

Related posts:

Todd Phillips: The Hangover Part II (2011) - Phillips & Co. follow up their sensational comedy hit with a disappointing sequel  
Due Date (2010) or, Riding with Tremblay

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 35 mil. $
Box office: 467.4 mil. $
= Mega-hit
[The Hangover premiered 30 May (Holland) and runs 100 minutes. The film is inspired by an experience one of its producers' friends had of blacking out and getting extorted upon visiting a strip club. The script was sold to Warner Bros. for 2 mil. $. An uncredited rewrite by Phillips and Jeremy Garelick added Mike Tyson, the baby and police car to it. Lindsay Lohan was first offered Graham's escort/stripper part but deemed the project without potential and later regretted it. Filming took place in Las Vegas, including at Caesar's Palace, and in California in October 2008. Helms' missing tooth was no effect job; he has a dental implant for an incisor, which was removed for shooting. The film opened #1 to a stellar 44.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed atop for another week before getting thrown to #2 by The Proposal. It stayed in the top 5 for 5 consecutive weeks, played for a 28-week long period and grossed 277.3 mil. $ (59.3 % of the total gross). It became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in North America ever, beating Beverly Hills Cop's (1984) 25 year record. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 36 mil. $ (7.7 %) and Germany with 20.8 mil. $ (4.5 %). Roger Ebert concurred with me in his giving the film 3.5/4 stars. It won an AFI Movie of the Year award, a Golden Globe and was BAFTA-nominated. It also beat My Big Fat Greek Wedding by selling more than 8.6 mil. DVD and Blu-rays domestically as the biggest comedy home release ever. Two sequels followed: The Hangover Part II (2011) and The Hangover Part III (2013). The Hangover is certified fresh at 79 % with a 6.8 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Hangover?

The Hangover Part II (2011) - Phillips & Co. follow their sensational comedy hit with a disappointing sequel

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+ Most Undeserved Hit Movie of the Year

One of the persuasive posters that lured audiences by the thousands to Todd Phillips' The Hangover Part II

This time around, 'the wolf pack' are in Thailand, and at least I respect that the film does absolutely nothing to romanticize Bangkok.

Todd Phillips' (Starsky & Hutch (2004)) inevitable follow-up to his run-away comedy hit The Hangover (2009) is a schematic, thin rehash just barely worth the generous three stars it gets here.
Zach Galifianakis (Due Date (2010)) is the funniest character, and in good company the movie is just feasible, but ... there's many buts in the case of Hangover 2:
- Where was the much publicized Liam Neeson (Schindler's List (1993)) cameo? (The answer: On the cutting room floor, replaced by Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off (1997)) in a reshot version of the scene.)
- Why weren't there more funny comedians to lift the comedic level?
- Why did literally nothing new happen?
The action elements of Part II, which the first film didn't really have, only contribute in making the plot even more implausible. Add to this that Ken Jeong's (The DUFF (2015)) character Mr. Chow isn't fun anymore, and an offensive scene with violent monks, (other people will undoubtedly find other scenes from the film offensive.) - The Hangover Part II opened on Memorial Day, but that doesn't make it a memorable film by any standards.
It is co-written by Phillips, Craig Mazin (Scary Movie 3 (2003)) and Scot Armstrong (Semi-Pro (2008)), based on the characters created by Jon Lucas (21 & Over (2013)) and Scott Moore (Flypaper (2011)).
Phillips followed the film up with The Hangover Part III (2013), which finished the Hangover trilogy, and he is now working on a war-themed comedy titled Arms and the Dudes (2016).

Related posts:
 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess
 

Ken Jeong looks funny here, but he isn't very funny in Todd Phillips' The Hangover Part II

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 80 mil. $
Box office: 586.8 mil. $
= Huge hit
[The movie, which started development two months before the first film was even released, opened to a whopping 86 mil. $ first weekend in North America and similarly red-hot reception globally. Audiences worldwide braved bad reviews and made the film the highest-grossing R-rated movie made to date: It made 254.4 mil. $ in North America (43 % of the total gross).]

What do you think of The Hangover Part II?
And the other two films in the trilogy?
And Phillips' other films?