The Hangover: This You'd Like to Have

It’s been more than a week since I saw this movie. At first I was just curious about what funny stuff might be in the movie since it was set in Las Vegas. And since it was about a bachelor party in the adult entertainment center of the world, it’s sure to have some serious but hilarious fun.

The movie started on the day the friends of the groom delivered the bad news to the bride... the groom is missing. And that the wedding might not push through.

Flashback to two days earlier when these guys embarked on a road trip to Vegas, the groom played by Justin Bartha was joined by his friends, dentist Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), a schoolteacher and the groom’s future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis).

Before the night started, they all went up on top of the roof of the Caesar’s Palace and enjoyed a toast of Jagermeister. The presence of that drink alone creates chuckles since it is common that this drink is a very strong one with a distinct but weird taste. Think Vicks Vaporub. I tried this several times and it’s really got its kick, I tell you that.

They did their ceremonial toast, saying goodbye to freedom and of being single. But not quite... this would be the groom's his last night, as single and it would be the groom’s best night as a bachelor. They drank. And then, all went black….

That was it. That’s the whole story. Anti-climactic you might think? Actually the story had just started.

They woke up the next morning oblivious to what happened the night before. The expensive suite they had rented had been trashed, there’s a tiger in the bathroom, a chicken, in the room, Stu the dentist is missing a tooth, and there’s a crying baby in the closet. When they gave the parking ticket to the valet attendant, he brought them a police car.

And worst, the wedding is in a few hours and they couldn’t find the groom.

Their search for the groom is the whole enchilada for the movie. And since none of the viewers had any idea as well, they were now drawn into the search themselves While the three guys retrace their steps that might lead them to understand what happened and ultimately help them find the missing groom, the viewer is also being led to understand the whole mystery too.

The whole day spent on fact-finding led them to a wedding chapel, a Chinese mobster, the cops, the emergency room, a hooker, and Mike Tyson. I would not spill the details so as not to spoil the entire movie.

It is best to see it without any hint of what happened. Believe me, you would enjoy it.

The feeling of confusion and the realization the day after the drinking spree is not unfamiliar to me. I have had my own share of nights when I go blackout. And while it is quite embarrassing, after a while, you’d see the whole thing as an over the top but hilarious adventure.

The Hangover is one crazy twist of one-night getaways with the boys cum road trip kind of movie in a wicked funny sort of way. It is very wise for the movie to be told in a narrative, and the viewers were kept in suspense as the mystery unravels piece by piece.

And at the end of it, after the guys have found their groom and thought they all have it figured out, and after the viewers thought the laughter had come and gone… they found a camera that spilled all the details of what really happened the night before.

And that would bring down the house with people laughing all the way to the exit doors.