• Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      4 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      4 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      4 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      4 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      4 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      4 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      4 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      5 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      4 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      4 years ago
Movie Mezzanine
  • Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      4 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      4 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      4 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      4 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      4 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      4 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      4 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      5 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      4 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      4 years ago
  • Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      4 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      4 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      4 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      4 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      4 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      4 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      4 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      5 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      4 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      4 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      4 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      4 years ago
‘The Hangover Part III’
  • Reviews

‘The Hangover Part III’

  • Tom Clift by Tom Clift
  • May 22, 2013
  • 0
  • 2008

Like the inevitably disappointing trip to the kebab stand that concludes so many a subpar night of heavy drinking, so too does one of the most unnecessary trilogies in the history of motion pictures slump to its subdued and flavorless finale. Jettisoning the puzzle-piece structure of the previous films in favor of a more run-of-the-mill crime plot, The Hangover Part III nonetheless feels in many ways even lazier and more derivative than its predecessor. Say what you will about the problems with Part II, but at least it had a sense of escalation. Hell, at least it had jokes.

Maybe part of the reason The Hangover Part III feels so lame is that there’s no actual hangover (presumably director Todd Phillips and his co-writer Craig Mazin realized that even the most forgiving of viewers probably wouldn’t swallow the exact same story for three films in a row). Instead, the madness begins after Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and the increasingly unstable Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are kidnapped by heavy-weight mob boss Marshall (John Goodman). He needs their help recovering $21 million dollars worth of gold bars, stolen by the trio’s old associate, the flamboyant master criminal Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong). Marshall’s demands are simple: track down Chow and the bullion within seventy-two hours, or the long-suffering Doug (Justin Bartha) ends up six feet under ground.

So begins this studio-mandated afterthought, one that takes us first to Tijuana and then back to Las Vegas, all the while demonstrating absolutely no interest in developing its characters or its comedy. Most of the attempted humor comes from watching the insane antisocial behaviour of either Alan or Chow (the latter’s role, in particular, has been expanded quite considerably). What the writers here fail to appreciate, however, is that in the original film, both Jeong and Galifianakis were relative up-and-comers. In contrast, we’ve now been watching the same distinctive shtick for four years, and it hasn’t gotten funnier with age. By the time they’re given the bulk of the screen time in this film, the pair are not only predictable, but agonisingly unfunny.

As for Helms and Cooper, at this point they’re basically being paid to stand there and act shocked and/or confused and/or horrified by the actions of their zanier (read: more repellent) co-stars. Cooper, in particular, having been outstanding in recent films like Silver Linings Playbook and The Place Beyond the Pines, looks flat out bored by the material, and it’s easy to understand why. The same is true of Goodman, uncharacteristically limp in what is basically a one-dimensional rehash of his Big Lebowski role. A cameo by Melissa McCarthy, meanwhile, sees the actress continue down her path of rapidly diminishing returns playing the same outlandish caricature she did in Identity Thief and Bridesmaids.

Strange as it may sound, The Hangover Part III is so woefully unambitious that it can’t even be bothered being debauched. For all the brazen self-thievery of the first sequel that generated quite a few laughs out of shock and revulsion, this not-so-epic finale simply resorts to sequences of animal cruelty (okay, murder).

Truthfully even those feel sort of half-assed.

Grade: D

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related posts

  • Odienator
1
Looking for Solutions <br>in “Where to Invade Next”

Looking for Solutions
in “Where to Invade Next”

5 years ago
  • KTurner
0
Exploring Past and Present <br> in “45 Years”

Exploring Past and Present
in “45 Years”

5 years ago
  • DanSc
0
“Finders Keepers”: A Cult Classic in the Making

“Finders Keepers”: A Cult Classic in the Making

6 years ago
  • Steven Flores

    I never thought “The Hangover” was any good and I am one of those people who never thought Zach Galifanakis was funny. The fact that this film has been getting negative reviews is kind of rewarding to see that Todd Phillips just doesn’t have it anymore. At least the film gives Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms a nice paycheck as they’re going to be in bigger and better things to come.

    • Sam Fragoso

      Helms and Cooper don’t need paychecks at this point. But yeah, they both have bright futures. Not sure about Galifankais, who was surprisingly excellent in IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, but has otherwise played similar characters in every movie.

  • Sam Fragoso

    Very happy that I decided to let you review this movie. I wasn’t up to write an evisceration this week. Well done sir.

  • Colin Biggs

    Cooper looks like the only one to come out unscathed of this franchise. I’m sure he’s glad to be done with it.

About Us

Movie Mezzanine is an online publication dedicated to covering the medium that connects us all, one film at a time. With writers stationed around the globe, we offer a uniquely diverse perspective on cinema, both old and new. To learn more about us, go here.

Spotlight

Putting the Geek to the Plow