DVD Spotlight: "The Hangover Part III" - Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis

The reviews for The Hangover Part III were not kind. Perhaps the beloved first installment had soured critics on the subsequent sequels. Of course, the second Hangover film was pretty awful. Despite the negative reviews, I gave The Hangover Part III a try and I actually enjoyed it. Yes, I realize I am in the minority. The third installment veers way off course from the previous two and has nothing to do with a hangover, save for a few familiar faces who the Wolfpack encounter on their latest adventure, which finds them once again involved with the never dull Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong).

The initial story centers around Alan (Zach Galifianakis), who refuses to take his medication after his father, Sid (Jeffrey Tambor), dies of a heart attack. Sid's demise occurs after an argument with Alan over an unfortunate accident involving a giraffe, but, as usual, Alan refuses to take any responsibility. An intervention is staged to convince Alan to go into rehab and he agrees, provided that Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Doug (Justin Bartha) accompany him. They agree, but before they can make it to the facility, they are attacked and apprehended by men working for mob leader Marshall (John Goodman), who believes they can help him find Chow, who has stolen millions in gold bars from him.

Meanwhile, Chow has escaped from prison and is in hiding, so it is up the Alan, Stu and Phil to find him or Doug, who has been taken hostage, will be killed. The Wolfpack travel to Mexico in search of Chow, who proves time and again that he cannot be trusted. However, with Doug's life hanging in the balance, the guys have no choice but to work with him to try to appease Marshall. Along the way, they meet familiar faces, including Black Doug (Mike Epps) and Jade (Heather Graham), before once again traveling to Las Vegas for the finale.

While The Hangover Part III is billed as a comedy, most of the humor falls flat, despite the efforts from the talented cast. However, the film works as a dark drama and managed to hold my attention for the majority of its 100 minute run time. The performances are generally good and are elevated by the supporting turns by Melissa McCarthy and John Goodman. However, Ed Helms is given next to nothing substantial to do and is also saddled with a few groan inducing moments that are supposed to be funny, but are not. Ken Jeong has a more substantial role than Helms, which serves to throw off the dynamic between Stu, Phil and Alan. However, this is a very different film from the previous two installments, so do not expect writer/director Todd Phillips to follow the formula. Even though the Hangover franchise is supposedly finished, the end of the film hints at a possible fourth installment. Frankly, I would not mind seeing another Hangover if it features the same dark subject matter. However, I hope any potential future installments do not include a nude scene by Ken Jeong. Once was enough. Twice is torture.