The Hangover 醉後大丈夫

Directed by Todd Phillips ("Old School"), "The Hangover" is a comedy about a bachelor party gone very, very wrong. Two days before his wedding, Doug (Justin Bartha) drives to Las Vegas with his best buddies Phil and Stu (Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms) and his future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis), for a blow-out bachelor party they vow they'll never forget.

But when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning with pounding headaches, they can't remember a thing. Their luxury hotel suite is beyond trashed with a missing tooth, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, and the groom nowhere to be found.

With no clue about what happened and little time to spare, the three hungover guys must retrace their bad decisions from the night before in order to figure out where things went wrong in the hopes of finding Doug and getting him back to L.A. in time for his wedding.

The script is well written; everything that seems unbelievable at the beginning make sense in the end. And there's always a surprise when following along the story.

Bradley Cooper, after playing many times as "the best friend," finally made his way to the leading role, letting others to play his best friends. Not just the role has been promoted, compared to his performance in "Yes Man" and "He's Just Not That Into You," his acting skills seem enhanced by interpreting a role that is breezy and arrogant as de facto leader, but also a school teacher who steals from his students.

Ed Helms' Stu is a sweet but insecure dentist (he always tells others he's a doctor), who lives under the tyrannical reign of his insulting, smothering girlfriend (Helms' fellow former "Daily Show" correspondent Rachael Harris). "The Hangover" does give Helms a chance to show some unexpected dramatic chops and singing skills, though.

Zach Galifianakis' Alan steals many a moment as Doug's soon-to-be brother-in-law. As a lone wolf with a sketchy past that clearly yearns to be accepted by the other guys, his performance is a fascinating balance of creepy, unpredictable and endearing; it's risky but it drives the audiences to laughter.

There are three more side characters who deserve mention. Ken Jeong's girlish, distasteful but still interesting Mr. Chaw might be the funniest character in "The Hangover." Heather Graham's striper Jade catches the eye with the sacrifice she made for the film. Mike Tyson, playing himself, is more like an unexpected guest; I admire his ability in making fun of himself.

"The Hangover" is a comic adventure well worth taking, and when it finishes, don't leave in a hurry or else you will miss the hilarious pictures played over the closing credits. I recommend this film for people over 18, who loved "Wedding Crashers" (although "The Hangover" is all about saving a wedding), who would be happy to see Bradley Cooper make his way to the leading role, or who simply want to have an afternoon full of laughter.

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