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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Film Review - THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE ★★☆☆☆

If there is one trick that The Incredible Burt Wonderstone can't pull out from its hat, and that is a timely redemption of its title character into a likable fellow for whom we've stop caring about. Steve Carell plays an out of touch Las Vegas strip magician whose star has faded over the years. Burt Wonderstone has the luxury of being surrounded by funnier and more interesting characters, but ultimately spends too much screen time just being an incredible jerk.

As the film opens, the young and future Incredible Wonderstone is an awkward bullied little boy who finds focus and purpose in his life when he and his buddy Anton discover the joys of sleight of hand via a home magic set and VHS instructional video based on the stage act of the legendary Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin).

Flash forward decades later, Wonderstone is a master of illusion, performing to sold out audiences at Bally's in bare chested sequin outfits and an over blown-out bulletproof bouffant along with his sidekick Anton (Steve Buscemi). What has also happened over time is Burt's transformation into a narcissistic self-made celebrity who gifts groupies he's bedded with souvenir autographed pictures the next morning and fires on-stage assistants in the middle of a live show.

But over time, edgy street showmanship has finally caught up The Incredible Burt and Anton, who before their very eyes see their audience dwindle when attention switches to self mutilation performance acts like Steve Gray (Jim Carrey). While Wonderstone is still adamant about taking the stage in flamboyant outfits to the tune of the Steve Miller Band's "Abracadabra," and doing the same uninspired show over and over again, Gray while in front of his guerrilla DV camera crew will hold his urine for days or grab a pillow and camp out overnight while sleeping on hot coals. Gray's inspiration from the likes of David Blaine and Criss Angel are not exactly subtle, but neither of those real life illusionists nearly have the brilliant physical comedy aptitude of Jim Carrey, who takes to this role with ease and thankfully runs with it with reckless abandon.

So begins the battle for supremacy (and a lucrative contract) between the old school and new school of magic. Burt finds himself not only unemployed and friendless, but in the apprenticeship of his now retirement home stricken idol, Rance Halloway. You would think the Bruce Almighty re-teaming of Carell and Carrey would bring real comedy magic to the big screen, but the biggest laughs mainly come courtesy of Carrey's signature physical skills. Wonderstone himself has too slow a transition to becoming a relatable character, maintaining his big on-stage voice even when he's not performing, tossing his life long friendship with Anton aside without a thought, and constantly calls his loyal assistant Nicole instead of her real name Jane (played by a given very little to do Olivia Wilde).

As far as actually being a funny character, Wonderstone is sorely underwritten. Where your Ron Burgundy is an obnoxious sexist ass, he is still a funny character with memorable antics and catchphrases to take home and repeat. There are few opportunities for Carell to knock it out of the ballpark, and most of the big laughs come from Carrey, Arkin and the supporting players like Wilde, Jay Mohr and Gillian Jacobs.

Olivia Wilde and Steve Buscemi are left in sideline purgatory here. Wilde is given little to do outside of the role of obligatory assistant and reluctant love interest. Buscemi's Anton Marvelton is mostly used an on object of abuse for Wonderstone's ego. And while Carrey lights up every one of his scenes, he is sorely missed when not on screen.

Where the film could have (or should have) gone with with a mile a minute punchline driven script or skew towards a comedy version of The Prestige and allow itself to become more brilliant as it goes on, baffling the audience as dueling master magicians best each other in a round by round battle of wits, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone instead sorely underplays its potential with a paint by numbers story of a fallen character who needs to be set straight.

Where the key to magic is misdirection, it is the unfortunate achilles heel of this film where you need to focus elsewhere to find the too few and in-between big laughs, and its Carell's Wonderstone who distracts you from Carrey's Gray. Where it has an edgy meanness to it, its not towards the right characters, and when it finally has heart and soul, behind all the smoke and mirrors there is little magic left to have you care about the has-been title character who needs a comeback the most.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone opens on March 15th.

REVIEW RATING: ★★☆☆☆
Directed By: Don Scardino
Starring: Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 101 minutes

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