Review - The Hangover Part III (2013)

Starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms.
Directed by Todd Phillips.

Why is this a trilogy again? The wolf-pack is back but this time the movie isn't focused on a hangover, a wedding and the strange events that occurred. Two years after the events of Bangkok, the wolf-pack hits the road again - this time they're taking Alan (Zach Galifianakis) to a rehab facility in Arizona to treat his erratic behavior. However their past comes back to haunt them and the wolf-pack finds themselves in trouble with a mobster name Marshall (John Goodman). He wants them to deliver Chow (Ken Jeong) to him, whom Alan has been in contact with. Marshall gives the crew three days to find Chow or he will kill Doug (Justin Bartha).

Instead of using the same premise of the previous films all over again - the writers actually tried a different approach in terms of plot. I liked the opening funeral scene; Alan had some witty lines and was the spark in the beginning. Of course there were moments when they tried too hard to be funny but I did find myself chuckle a few times. What surprised me however was how "serious" this movie became - it really slowed down midway. The Hangover Part 3 felt like a drama more than a comedy.

It's just amazing how Justin Bartha's character Doug is always flung in the dark in this franchise. Stu and Phil were just... just there. Alan had a little more depth to his character. We see him finally grow up, get rid of his childish antics and become a better man somewhat. Chow was still just Chow; an over-the-top and sometimes amusing character - but most of the times he is rather annoying. He had a few funny lines in the movie but quite frankly he's really not that funny. I think where The Hangover franchise went wrong was having Chow become more of a presence. Often times he overshadows the rest of the characters and not in a good way. John Goodman was okay as the villain. I initially thought they were going to use his character to drive the plot into a new direction but instead, they tied him back to the first movie. The Hangover Part 3 tries to tie the loose ends of the previous films. It begins to rely heavily on past materials - even stuff from the previous films that nobody gave a crap about. I got a feeling that they were trying to create a nostalgic feeling but this didn't work for me. As a result, I got bored -- right until its anti-climatic ending.

It was boring but despite that, I was glad they didn't drown us in the exact same premise again and tried something different. However it became less of a comedy as it went along and wasn't a fun conclusion. I enjoyed the first film, I loathed the second film and this one is forgettable. I'm just hoping there isn't another sequel in the works.

Rating: 5/10



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