THE Hangover was the break out hit of 2009. The exploits of the Wolfpack, struck a chord with a wide audience. The inevitable sequel was then commissioned, which predictably didn’t go down as well.

Trying to recreate the surprise of the first film with a slightly darker tinge, was always going to come across less well and the reviews were pretty negative.

Nevertheless it took in so much money that a third film was duly ordered. However having failed to recreate the magic of the original, surely a different direction would be needed to attract an audience.

After Alan’s (Zach Galifianikis) father dies, a heart attack caused by his outrage at another of his ridiculous escapade his friends Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper) & Doug (Justin Bartha) become part of an intervention to take Alan to a rehab facility in Arizona, as he is off his medication.

Alan agrees to go only if the rest of the Wolfpack goes with him. Meanwhile the dastardly Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) has escaped from prison in Thailand, and a gangster called Marshall (John Goodman) is after a load of gold which Chow stole from him.

Marshall takes Doug hostage and forces the rest of the gang to find Chow and get the gold he owes him. They manage to do this thanks to the bizarre friendship between Chow and Alan. However things, inevitably, do no go to plan.

The Hangover III is, as promised, a very different film from its predecessors – with a much more dramatic plot and darker premise.

This time it’s not so much about the consequences of the boy’s wild nights out, but them being caught up in a very dangerous game between two gangsters. It is much more of a character piece and it works pretty well.

It is not a particularly gripping thriller, but rattles along at a good pace and the chemistry between the team is as good as always. Putting Alan at the heart of the piece is the masterstroke, and his bizarre but strangely naïve behaviour gives the film a warmth the others lacked. It is a fairly good ending to the trilogy, but don’t expect anything like the other two films.

6/10

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here