‘Hangover’ is seriously funny … and snarky

One of the more interesting trailers that has been playing on television and in the theaters over the past month or so promotes a comedy called “The Hangover.”

No, it’s not about Spring Break. And there are no 19-year-old playmate-wannabes with D-cup appeal.

The film, as the trailers show all too well, involves a quartet of guys that decide to hold the bachelor party for one of the number – Doug (Justin Bartha of the “National Treasure” films) – a couple of days before his wedding.

The trio of buddies is a diverse group. Alan (standup comic Zach Galifianakis) is the brother of Doug’s fiancée, and he’s a bit of a douche. We know that because he says things such as “Let’s let the dogs out,” and he’s a Jonas Brothers fan.

Phil (Bradley Cooper, formerly of “Alias”) is a good-looking, cynical party boy, and he’s a bit of a jerk. Stu (Ed Helms, from both “The Daily Show” and “The Office”) is a dentist who calls himself a doctor, and he’s a bit of a henpecked weenie.

But they’re all going to have the night of their lives in Vegas. Only thing is, when they wake up the next morning, their villa has been trashed, a baby AND a tiger unaccountably show up … and the future groom is missing.

Thus begins their search, one that includes Phil discovering he’s been in the hospital. Stu, for his part, finds out that he’s lost both a tooth and the ring that he grandmother had carried since being in a concentration camp (because it’s in the possession of a stripper played by Heather Graham, to whom he is now apparently married).

And Alan finds himself nursemaiding a baby that he, for no apparent reason, starts calling Carlos.

Still, there’s no sign of Doug. They find themselves in possession of a stolen police cruiser (which leads to them all being used for Taser target practice), the target of a strange Chinese gambler, and, in general, a slow realization that the night of their lives is one that they’re never going to remember – but one that, clearly, included a fair amount of bad stuff.
And the only thing that will start setting things right is to find Doug.

If you’ve watched the trailers, you’ll know that “The Hangover” is filled with a lot of sketchy humor. And it’s as funny as it promises. The only problem is that if you’ve seen the trailers, you’ve pretty much seen the movie.

“The Hangover” is directed by Todd Phillips, the man who gave us “Old School.” And like that guy’s comedy, the women characters are basically of two types: harridans or tramps. But then the guys are no great bargains either, so it seems to even out.

It may not be “Land of the Lost” – which, like “Old School,” has Will Ferrell – but it is seriously funny.

Of course it helps if you have a twisted sense of humor. Which, it seems, I do.

Below: A ReelzChannel.com feature for “The Hangover.”