The Double Feature; 'The Hangover Part III'

The Double  Feature.

'The Hangover Part III'

vs

'Byzantium'

I thought I would take a break from my 'Studio  Ghibli'  season and do a new 'Double Feature'.

It's going to be a real clash of genre's. The macabre versus the malcontents, Neil Jordans  atmospheric vampire drama and Todd Phillips conclusion to the 'Godfather' of all comedies. 

'The Hangover Part III'

Directed  by; Todd Phillips

Starring; Zach Galifianakis 

Bradley Cooper

Ed Helms

The lads realizing what is about to happen.

Going into this film I really worried about whether or not it could stand up to the hype and legacy of its predecessors, well predecessor, the first one. The gang are all back, for this final send off to the characters we have all come to  adore. 

Plot

Alan has gotten worse, a lot worse, he has caused a lot of destruction in the first ten minutes of the film. This causes massive repercussions in his life and in the lives of all around him, so the guys, Phil, Stew and Doug decide  that it's best if Alan goes away for awhile. On the way chaos ensues as the lads get attacked by Marshall, John Goodman, a man with a huge grudge against them since they introduced a virus into his life, in the form of a tiny man called Chow.

Good

I  like how they tied the first film with this one, the little connections that add up to what seems like a well put together world. The change in the structure of the film is  pretty interesting, no hangover and no running around trying to figure out what they did the previous night is  refreshing. There is still the same wonderful chemistry between the trio of lads, and Doug, who is still the fall guy. There are some fantastic set pieces and once again there are one or  two  cameos which really boost this film. I am really struggling to write this part of  the review, I need to get to the  next stage of the review or  I'm just going to go around in circles.

One of  the few funny scenes, if you're not a big animal fan.

Bad

The characterization of some characters has really changed, and not for the better. Alan off his medicine is a real jerk and not in a funny way. The chemistry  may still be there but with no good dialogue it  feels forced and dull and a lot  of the time uninteresting. I did laugh but it was hollow laughter, every time I laughed it petered out very quickly. Chow is the main selling point of this film but unlike in the other films where he was a welcome side element, in this he is  thrust  into the spotlight and it is not always for the best. It reminded me of how 'Pirates of the Caribbean' turned Jack Sparrow from a fantastically engaging side character to an awkward lead role. These great characters don't steer the ship, they  make the journey far more entertaining and engaging. I could go on and on about what is wrong with this film but I won't. 

Ugly

This is the 'Godfather' of comedies on so many levels, all the good all the bad.
4/10

No, just no.

 It could have been so much more.