When it comes to the ‘The Hangover’ sequels, we’re being punished for having a good time with the first film. If ‘Part 2′ was a clone of its predecessor, Part 3 is the genetic trash left over from trying to replicate the success of 2009.
After the death of Alan’s (Zack Galifinakis) father, his friends aka The Wolf Pack (Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Justin Bartha) decide he needs to be treated for “mental issues”. En route to a medical facility the group get kidnapped by a gangster (John Goodman) who demands they track down his nemesis, Mr Chow (Ken Jeong).
There is not a trace of humour to be found in ‘Part 3′. It’s mean spirited and the “comedy” crafts jokes from mental health issues, pointless profanity and dated Asian stereotypes. In the opening moments a giraffe gets decapitated. Remember when Fonzie jumped the shark on ‘Happy Days’? The moment has become synonymous with bad television and maybe “decapitating the giraffe” will eventually be associated with bad films. I was honestly waiting for someone to beat up a person in a wheelchair, but instead, co-writer/director Todd Phillips and screenwriter Craig Mazin, have a character chastise an elderly woman on an electric scooter. Jeong’s portrayal of Chow is as subtle as Mickey Rooney’s appearance as Mr Yunioshi in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ and it’s sad the actor would agree to this kind of humiliation. Even Galifinakis’ “man-baby” act is transformed from an odd misfit to an ignorant moron. Helms and Cooper barley register a presence in the film and they wander around like ghosts with big dollar signs in their eyeballs for the big payday they probably received to return for this nonsense.
The film scraps the concept of retracing steps from a heavy night of drinking in place of a road film. It changes the approach already taken in the two previous films, but it’s such a forced tactic and the lead actors share uncomfortable screen time going from location to location well aware the teat is running dry.
The only positive to come out of ‘The Hangover Part 3′ is that the future of this series continuing may have been snuffed out.
0.5/5
Cameron Williams
The Popcorn Junkie
