The Hangover Part III

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, & Ed Helms

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Moviegoers want sequels, that's why they are made. As fans, we want to see more and learn more about the characters we know and love, but no matter how good that sequel is, not all of the fans are going to like it. If the movie is too much like the first one, the fans say it's the same movie, but if it's too different, they say it doesn't fit the story. The only place the writers/producers are going to win is at the box office, because no matter the reviews, they know people are going to come and see it. The Hangover Part III is getting terrible reviews from fans, because it's not what they expected. It's not as funny as the first one or even the second one, in fact, this film is much more dramatic than the rest of the films in the series, but it not necessarily a bad thing. Alan may not have had a ton of funny lines and Stu's girlish screaming may have run it's course, but this was still a really good story. Using flashbacks from the original, Todd Phillips introduces us to a part of the story that we didn't even know existed until now. This time, they skip the hangover and the wolf pack needs to go on an adventure to capture Mr. Chow. Four years ago, Chow ripped off another gangster and that gangster kidnaps Doug and threatens to kill him unless the wolf pack can bring him Chow. The story was solid and included some of the comedy we love along with dramatic elements and even a couple of really exciting chase scenes. No, this film was not the hangover we've come to love and expect. The clever one-liners aren't there, there's no wedding to prepare for, and the stakes are much higher this time, but all in all the story was very solid and the performances were fantastic. This film was a great way to end the story of the wolf pack, yet many fans and critic alike insist on comparing it to the first one. This film is much different than the original, too different in the opinions of many. If you want to compare Part III to the original Hangover, than no it's nowhere near as good, but if you look at it based on it's own merits, it's a pretty solid film, albeit much different from what was expected.