The Hangover plus really funny movies.

I finally got a chance to see "The Hangover" starring Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms after all the hoopla on how funny it is. It's funny that I don't listen to hoopla. That's about all that's funny about watching this sick, poor excuse for a comedy. I'm trying to figure out what the greatest film critic ever, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times, saw in this movie; this is probably the most baffling 3 1/2 stars I ever seen him give out. The plot should have made a funny movie. It revolves around 2 friends, Phil (Bradley Cooper)& Stu (Ed Helms) who plan a bachelor road trip for their soon to be married friend Doug (Justin Bartha). Tagging along for the ride is Doug's soon to be brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis, who probably should have had a bigger role). After arriving and taking an unknown drug thinking it was Ecstasy, the friends lose track of the night and Doug, resulting in back tracking the events of the previous night. While the events themselves, including a run in with former boxing heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and a Asian gangster(or something else maybe)played by Ken Jeong, are funny I find the main characters aren't likable in the least. Maybe Alan would be a better friend for Doug, at least he has a personality. Phil and Stu are just throwbacks to characters who are what they do. Especially Phil, who at the end of the movie, doesn't even get the valuable lesson most fools learn, although I will admit he seemed pretty well ground except for in the squad car. Look, this movie might not have been my cup of tea as far as comedy is concerned but there are a few times I genuinely laughed so who knows what the next person will think. I was trying to figure out if I lost my sense of humor or not because of the lack of times I laughed. Go figure.
I did happen to like how Stu at least learned a little something about himself at the end though. I also liked the Asian gangster scenes. This is ironic because the next movie I saw, "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" directed by Neal Brennan (best known as Dave Chappelle's "Chappelle's Show" writer and director & "Half Baked" co-writer), features both Helms & Jeong and this movie is hilarious! I don't know how this movie slipped under my radar. It features one of the most Chicagoan-est (OK, I make up words. Sue me!) actor I've ever seen: Jeremy Piven. It's just something about Piven's charisma that just seems so familiar to me; maybe because I see it almost everyday. Chicagoan's have a cockiness about themselves that just can not be described or matched. For example, an extreme excample would be Kanye West, who is almost too Chicago to be real right now. The brashness he displays is real, albeit over the top lately, but genuine nonetheless. Back to "The Goods", this movie is preposterous and Kanye West-level over the top, but I laughed from beginning to end. The story? IDK if it even makes a bit of difference if you knew it or not. It invovles a family owned car lot trying to unload 210 cars over a 3-day holiday weekend. Jeremy Piven and "entourage" (wink,wink) are some Car Salespeople for hire and WTF else do you need to know about this movie? Car Salespeople for hire?!?! Whatever. This movie is as funny as it is preposterous and I have know problem with that. BTW: Will Farrell turns in some of the most hilarious cameos I've seen in a few years. His scenes alone made me laugh more than I did through the whole "Hangover". If you need a laugh, check this movie out. Watch "The Hangover" too if only to see how to mismanage comedic talent.

The Hangover:1.5 The Hangover (R-Rated Single-Disc Edition)

The Goods:Live Hard,Sell Hard:4.0 The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard