I doubt when The Hangover was being made, anyone ever thought it would gross over $400 million dollars and spawn two sequels. I had the (mis)fortune of seeing Parts I and II basically back-to-back and was dumbfounded by all of the “this is the funniest movie ever” comments I had heard. The first one was mildly amusing — perhaps it played better with a large audience rather than on home video — but the second one was a carbon copy with the same comedic beats set in a different location.

I suppose I’m a glutton for punishment, or just a completest, so it was with much trepidation that I attended an advance screening of The Hangover Part III before its theatrical release. Surprisingly enough, I enjoyed it much more than either of the first two movies simply because (and this seems to be the reason a lot of people disliked it) it was different. A completely different story with the same characters, and returning characters from the first movie including someone who was just mentioned in passing, that totally ignored the series’ title! There was no hangover-induced confusion, no constant “what is going on here?” wailing, just a pretty tight story that picks up after the end of Part II and then pretty much ignores it in order to backtrack to events that happened off-camera in Part I.

Unfortunately, the fact that the movie was so different from the first two — or that people were just expecting another regurgitation of the same plot — left Part III with a much smaller box office total than either of the previous films. Which is a shame, because the movie is actually more entertaining, much funnier, has some amazing action scenes and John Goodman to boot! If you decided not to see the movie at the cinema, now is your chance to see for yourself how the Wolfpack’s journey ends.

Warner Home Video has just released The Hangover Part III on various home video formats. The Blu-ray edition of the film (which also comes with a DVD and a Digital HD copy) presents the film perfectly. I don’t know if this was shot digitally or on film, but a close look at the image shows what appears to be very fine grain giving it a film-like quality. The colors are appropriately saturated and replicate the best theatrical presentation. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is vibrant, directional and booming during the intense action scenes. Dialogue is clear, but music and effects never overpower that center channel. It’s definitely a great, demo-worthy mix.

The extras included on the Blu-ray range from behind-the-scenes footage to some not very humorous pieces. These include:

• Behind the Scenes: Replacing Zach: The Secret Auditions (6:09) — Director Todd Phillips would have us believe that he thought of recasting the “difficult” Zach Galifianakis after the second movie with potential candidates such as Jason Sudeikis and Bobby Moynihan. Mildly amusing.
• Behind the Scenes: The Wolfpack’s Wildest Stunts (5:10) — This is a great, but much too short, look at some of the film’s action scenes including the Vegas parachute finale which pretty much shut down the Strip and required the cooperation of all the hotels in the area. There is also an amazing look at the scene on top of Caesar’s Palace that wasn’t quite as terrifying as it looked on screen. Movie buffs will love this … and want more!
• Behind the Scenes: Zach Galifianakis in His Own Words (2:32) — Someone just pointed a camera at Zach and let him ramble as if he was being interviewed. Zach “dishes” on his co-stars, his character, Dockers and Solid Gold. It’s a mercifully short piece.
• Behind the Scenes: Pushing the Limits (3:36) — In the movies, they say never work with animals or children. This brief feature shows the movie magic behind working with a giraffe, angry roosters and a 4-year-old boy. PETA can breathe a little easier.
• Featurette: Inside Focus: The Real Chow (5:24) — A “newsmagazine” look at the career of Ken Jeong … or is it Leslie Chow? The piece implies that Jeong is just a character and Chow is the real person, but either way this is the least amusing extra on the disk.
• Featurette: Action Mash-Up — One minute and nine seconds of the film’s action scenes. Best viewed after seeing the movie as it’s full of spoilers.
• Extended Scenes (2:03) — Three short cuts that weren’t missed by not having them in the movie.
• Outtakes (7:51) — Pretty funny flubs and behind the scenes footage.

The question is, is this all there is? Will there be an extended director’s cut sometime down the road, or perhaps a full trilogy box set (which is set to be released in December, according to Amazon, but not officially announced by the studio … yet)? If you own the first two and want to finish the set, then you’ll want to pick this one up. It looks and sounds great, and the bonus material is satisfactory, but there could be some more in depth material. Your enjoyment may vary, but for me, this was the best film of the trilogy.

This review was based on the Blu-ray/DVD Combo generously provided to CliqueClack by Warner Home Video.

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You pretty much had to have been living under a rock for the last few years to not have heard about The Hangover movies and the epic drunken adventures and hijinks the “Wolfpack” have been on after wild nights of partying and drinking. With The Hangover Part III being billed as the third and final film in the series it had the difficult task of being fresh and unique enough to set itself apart from the first two films, while still keeping consistent with a level of crazy humor.

With no bachelor parties or weddings of any sort to set up this film, The Hangover Part III veers off the series’ traditional path of the previous Hangover movies when Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) hit the open road on a trip put together to help their disturbed and unfiltered friend Alan (Zach Galifianakis) after a family crisis. The Wolfpack, being as disaster-prone as they are, eventually cross paths with a crime boss named Marshall (John Goodman) who forces the pack to track down the untamed Chinese criminal Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) after he escapes from a Thai prison.

While The Hangover Part III’s principal cast has already been established by the previous two films there are still some nice additions to the film’s cast. John Goodman, while flat and nothing spectacular, still manages to pull off a convincing enough antagonist to get the fires burning beneath the Wolfpack’s paws and get them scrambling on their way into trouble. Mike Epps’ and Heather Graham’s characters also return for this film in small roles, and even the same kid who played as the baby in the first film reprises his role as “Carlos” for one of the funnier exchanges in the film. Melissa McCarthy’s role, although small and a little bit surprising, seemed to fit nicely with the film and her comedy played exceptionally well off of Galifianakis.

The real stand-out workhorse and vital cog of this film is the tandem comedy duo created by Ken Jeong and Zack Galifianakis, who literally carry this film on their backs from beginning to end. They are just that funny. Jeong has a much more expanded role in this film that suits the hare-brained and irreverent plot advancements perfectly. Right from the film’s get-go, The Hangover Part III hits the gas on the crazy comedy and never lets up. It almost felt as if Galifianakis and Jeong were given a blank check to bring the most out of their eccentric characters and they actually delivered.

The most obvious detail worth noting is that The Hangover Part III took the liberty of differentiating itself from the first two films by having the story not revolve around a “blackout” event as a catalyst for the Wolfpack’s crazy adventure. There’s still the element of the team working together to achieve a common goal against a strict deadline but this time around the adventure has a new paint job and sports a different flavor than the other films — but it works.

Ultimately, The Hangover Part III put together a fun ride with just enough laughs and subtle twists to keep you entertained and rolling in your seats until the film’s end. This film probably wouldn’t sit too well with those who don’t enjoy wild and off-the-wall comedies, but to any and all of those who enjoyed either of the previous films, The Hangover Part III is without a doubt a must-see — especially with a crowd. Just be sure to stick around through part of the credits for a great post-credits sequence that you do not want to miss!

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