THE HANGOVER PART III

However, while many found 'Part II' lacking for basically taking the same situation and putting it in another country, 'Part III' suffers for the opposite reason - it’s too far removed from that central premise. 'Part III' follows a narrative we’re more familiar with from most action/buddy comedies (get the money, get out of trouble) - films like ‘Date Night’ (2010) - and while it still does it with more panache than most, it lacks the inventiveness and boldness we’ve come to expect from these films. It goes over the top, but strangely not as far as the first film, and certainly not as far as it promises to - or should. ‘The Hangover’ functions on a level of insanity that borders on surrealism, and it was this that made it (and still makes it) something to marvel and admire. For all its faults, 'Part II' at least takes those ideas even further. The first five minutes of this installment are big and bold and gloriously inappropriate, but the rest never lives up to the inception. Rather than pulling out all the stops for the final hoorah, 'Part III' treads safely, only pushing the comedy as far as it needs to. It could have been a thunderous, gigantic finale, but ends up being just a tad disappointing.

That said, in the hands of a lesser ensemble, it could never have worked as well as it does. One of the great strengths of this series has been its central cast, and that is still the case here. Galifianakis, Cooper and Helms are in terrific form. Galifianakis is finally placed at the centre of the film, with Alan’s predicament setting the narrative rolling. He’s significantly more unhinged than we’ve seen him, and Galifianakis tackles this with relish, going exactly as far as he should with Alan’s bizarre form of insanity. Cooper and Helms are the glue that hold the film together, responding to every twist and turn with honesty and complete bewilderment. Cooper in particular is far more subtle and inventive with his comic timing than we’ve seen him before. Jeung is completely off-the-charts with Chow, allowing us to see Chow at psychotic full throttle. Two of the gems of the series have been Alan and Chow, and thankfully, putting them at the centre of this third film doesn’t tip the balance. These guys know what they’re doing, and they do it damn well.

‘The Hangover’ was never intended to be expanded into a trilogy, but with the central team intact throughout the venture, it hasn’t ended up the gratuitous exercise it could have been. Unfortunately, 'Part III' ends the story with a whimper rather than a bang. It feels like a missed opportunity to fulfill the promises of the brilliant original. There’s still a lot to enjoy, though, and while the Wolfpack play it safe this time, at least they reminds us how much we enjoy them... safe that is, until the credits begin to roll, and we get a reminder of what made ‘The Hangover’ such a shock in the first place.

You have been warned.