Film Review: THE HANGOVER PART III ★½☆☆☆☆

There sometimes comes the optimistic approach that a sequel may seize the opportunities to right the wrongs of its previous installment, or installments if so lucky. Of course in an ideal world, sequels would actually improve upon what preceded them, but let's not get ahead of ourselves folks. The Hangover Part III has absolutely no such ambitions to do either. 2009's The Hangover was an unexpected smash hit (deservedly so), and delivered solid laughs and introduced us to new misadventure icons in The Wolfpack.

The noticeably darker The Hangover Part II was rushed out two years later, rehashed nearly exactly the same plot and substituted Bangkok for Las Vegas, which came with far less funny results. The sequel was both a letdown and huge disservice to the initial fun we had with the series' take on the bachelor party gone down the worst rabbit hole imaginable concept.

So our beloved Wolfpack returns for round three in what promises to (please) be the final Hangover hurrah. Phil (Bradley Copper), Stu (Ed Helms ), Alan (Zack Galifianakis), and Doug (Justin Bartha) find themselves in a plot that does not take any cues from the now tried (if not tired) formula, but somehow manages to succeed in delivering even less fun and laughs than the soulless 2011 sequel.

In a nutshell, the plot finds the bearded perennial man-boy Alan off his much needed meds which inadvertently results in him causing the death of his father (Jeffrey Tambor). Following an intervention, his best friends that anybody could have all agree to check him to a rehab center so he can one day again see the world with clear eyes. The Wolfpack never makes it to their destination. They are run off the road and kidnapped by goons led by a crime boss known as Marshall (John Goodman), who has a four years in the making vendetta against none other than Mr. Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong). Chow has also just escaped prison, and cue the inevitable Shawshank Redemption reference.

At this point the film turns into a violent road trip heist flick, finding very little in common with the obnoxious good time we enjoyed in the first installment. Marshall is hell bent on seeking revenge on Chow for swindling him out of millions of dollars worth of gold bars. The gangster of course keeps Doug hostage (and out of the main stage action as always), and sends the Wolfpack off to capture and deliver Chow to him on a silver platter. We follow the gang through a series of unfunny sequences and double crosses until Vegas ultimately becomes the setting for the big finish.

Sure the script does make a conscious effort to bring this trilogy's overall story arc, dare I say, full circle by returning to where it all began: Las Vegas. We have get appearances from characters from the first film: Black Doug (Mike Epps), Jade (Heather Graham) and her son baby Carlos (who is now the four year old Tyler). They even manage to loop in Marshall via a throwaway mention during the first film as Black Doug's boss.

What the film forgets for the most part is any actual big belly laughs or honest to God comedy. Characters we formally laughed at or laughed with are hardly the same bunch anymore. The ensemble work here is cold and detached, and lacks the killer chemistry that was once there. Long gone also are appearances from supporting players like Rob Riggle and Matt Walsh who added comedy weight and priceless scenes.

Melissa McCarthy does turn up and shines some much needed funny moments, but that is just her doing what she does best, and as always does it effortlessly. Too bad they didn't know they had some strengths to exploit, because her scenes provide some of the scant actual comedy moments you hope for, if not expect.

What also struck me was an over abundance of unnecessary animal cruelty laced throughout the script.  Within the first five minutes we get the decapitation of a cute unsuspecting giraffe (as seen in the trailer, so it comes as no surprise), we are also told two guard dogs get their throats slit
(off screen thankfully), and cock fighting roosters get shot, thrown out of a window and suffocated with a pillow. We all have out britches to burn regarding what is sometimes conveyed on the big screen, and I consider myself highly desensitized to many things. But I managed to find an unnecessary and gratuitous running theme of disrespect to the animal kingdom here.   

By breaking from the actual Hangover formula, and not even trying to re-invent it with a clever twist, it only strays farther from the path that actually worked and cements Part III even further as pointless final entry in the series. Fret not, by the time you leave your seat there is a heavy handed threat for another chapter. But I'm more than fine with my fonder memories of our beloved Wolfpack's hi-jinks from the first installment, which stands tall as the crowning jewel of the trilogy.

Ultimately The Hangover Part III is not only utterly soulless and manages to disappoint on so many levels, it ends a journey that started off so well on a unfortunate huge final misstep. But now its clearly time to retire from this eternal viscous circle of misadventures, sleep it off, take our aspirin, go back to work on Monday and swear to never ever do it again.

The Hangover Part III opens in theaters on May 23rd.

REVIEW RATING: ★½☆☆☆☆
Directed By: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zack Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, John Goodman
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rated: R
Running Time: 100 minutes

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