‘The Hangover’ Reviews Promise Lots of Laughs and Cash

“The Hangover” gets good reviews

Zach Galifianakis

Reviews are flowing in for the most-talked-about movie opening this weekend. The majority of “The Hangover” reviews are positive, with 76 percent of critics on Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a good review.

With “The Hangover” reviews this good, it’s bound to have a blockbuster weekend. I couldn’t find a budget for the film, but I have no doubt producers will be able to start counting their profits soon. Any payday loans they took out to fund the film will be paid back lickety split.

“The Hangover” reviews

Here are some snippets from “The Hangover” reviews on Rotten Tomatoes:

It distinguishes itself from other what-happens-in-Vegas comedies (practically a subgenre at this point) by setting an especially vivid scene and telling an actual story instead of pasting together random shenanigans the way many modern comedies do.

– Carla Meyer, The Sacramento Bee

You’re likely to hear all about it as friends and co-workers endlessly quote lines or re-create scenes.

– Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News

Much smarter than it needs to be and darker than you’d expect, The Hangover seems destined to be the big comedy of the summer.

– Liz Braun, Jam! Movies

Phillips (“Old School”) and the writers (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, redeeming themselves after “Four Christmases”) can’t resist some tacky laughs. (Is the sight of a naked senior citizen really that funny?) But they keep things funny and fast, and wisely wrap up the action just before the movie runs out of steam; Judd Apatow, please take note. And at its heart it is something big-budget comedies often lack: an irresistibly good story that draws you in. “The Hangover” should be a huge hit this summer for laugh-starved audiences; happily, it delivers.

– Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times

Every summer needs at least one silly, dirty comedy, but “The Hangover” may end up being one of the few to actually get the mix right.

It’s a bit of a surprise considering that the screenwriters’ past work includes “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”

– Stephen Witty, Newark Star-Ledger

“The Hangover” is the latest from Todd Phillips, a director who knows what men are really like. Other comedies present men in ways that are too crude or too sentimental, but Phillips – both in previous pictures (“Old School,” “Starsky & Hutch”) and this new one – has an instinctive feel for the truth. His honesty is what makes Phillips’ movies hilarious, even when they’re not consistently successful, and what makes “The Hangover” the funniest movie so far this year.

– Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Like “Old School,” the jokes hit the mark because they’re based in well-conceived characters. Ed Helms (Andy from “The Office”) is the most likable, a nerdy, vulnerable dentist who tries to make the best of the series of Vegas catastrophes until he finally — and hilariously — explodes. Zach Galifianakis is also funny as a childlike guy with serious reality problems, as is Bradley Cooper as the studly best man.

– Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press

Showing the money

Comparisons to “Old School” in “The Hangover” reviews should come as good news to those who stand to profit. “Old School Cost about $24 million to make and brought in $89 million at the box office.

I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if “Old School” made a killing on rentals and video sales. “Old School” was one of Todd Phillips’ more lucrative recent projects. “Four Christmases,” which shares writers with “The Hangover,” actually did pretty well at the box office, pulling in $120 million in the U.S.

“The Hangover” will undoubtedly rake in tons of dough at the box office thanks to the good reviews and the all-star cast, which includes Helms, Galifianakis, Heather Graham and even an appearance by Mike Tyson.