Critic Reviews
Hangover, The (2009) Rank 5 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (139) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Reviews by Score:
Gazette (MD)
The kind of brilliant comedy that will have you gasping, laughing so hard you'll have tears in your eyes. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Gazette (MD)
Daily Mail [UK] (Christopher Tookey)
Tri-City Herald
The plot climaxes in what could be the best credit roll outtakes in movie history. If not that, they certainly rank as one of the best-ever punch lines. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Tri-City Herald
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (Greg Maki)
... Just might be the funniest movie of the decade. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (Greg Maki)
Entertainment Spectrum
Pushing the envelope unlike anything the industry has offered us this year; "The Hangover" provides the escape factor. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Entertainment Spectrum
Dallas Morning News
You're likely to hear all about it as friends and co-workers endlessly quote lines or re-create scenes. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Dallas Morning News
BDK's Reviews
If I had enough money, I would be willing to pay anyone back if they saw this movie and did not like it. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at BDK's Reviews
FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
The Hangover is a breathless stroke of comedic genius; one of those movies where, when it comes out on DVD and you have a bunch of friends over, you won't be able to watch just one scene. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
Heart 106.2 (Simon Thompson)
cinemaobsession.com (Jeff Otto)
Time will tell where this one falls on the comedy scale, but my initial impression is that this has a chance at classic status. I was pretty tired when I saw it and it still had me laughing throughout. I'm looking forward to a second viewing. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at cinemaobsession.com (Jeff Otto)
The Trend (Stephen Silver)
The best bachelor party movie since, well, "Bachelor Party" ...read the complete Hangover movie review at The Trend (Stephen Silver)
Aisle Seat
The script is really a marvel of invention as it finds myriad ways to sink the characters deeper and deeper into the abyss, and this is where many of the film's biggest laughs come into play. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Aisle Seat
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Now this is what I'm talkin' about. The Hangover is a funny movie, flat out, all the way through. Its setup is funny. Every situation is funny ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The Movie Kit (Kit Bowen)
While I'm not saying you have to be hungover to appreciate The Hangover, having a wild night out before seeing this the next day might enhance this hilarious experience. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at The Movie Kit (Kit Bowen)
indiomoviesonline.com
"Laugh riot!" "Hysterical!" ...read the complete Hangover movie review at indiomoviesonline.com
WaffleMovies.com
Helms, Cooper and Galafianakis are a great comedy trio with each one bringing a different element to the movie. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at WaffleMovies.com
Film Threat (--)
It gets the job done thanks in large part to the breakout performance given by Galifianakis. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Film Threat (--)
State Journal-Register
Just as a marriage is built on love and promises kept, so can a bromance. "The Hangover" honors and cherishes that idea in slickness and stealth, and will have audiences unsure of how to say Zach Galifianakis but certain he's a star. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at State Journal-Register
Nolan's Pop Culture Review (Michael A. Smith)
...I think I can safely predict that "The Hangover" will join March's "I Love You Man" as one of the funniest films of the year. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Nolan's Pop Culture Review (Michael A. Smith)
Variety (Joe Leydon)
The Hangover is surprisingly clever as well as R-rated rowdy. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Variety (Joe Leydon)
Palo Alto Weekly
Who knew a Hangover could be so much fun? ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Palo Alto Weekly
Blackfilm.com (Wilson Morales)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Is there a joke more familiar and fagged-out than the bachelor party? Didn't think so. I dragged my ass to The Hangover like a man awaiting execution by cliche. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
About.com (Rebecca Murray)
The Hangover's nutty, naughty fun that never takes itself the least bit seriously. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at About.com (Rebecca Murray)
Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
I'm going to say, at the risk of doing time in the blurbitentiary, that The Hangover is the Citizen Kane of bachelor party movies. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
Can Magazine
It's the funniest movie of the year. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Can Magazine
Jam! Movies
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. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Jam! Movies
Hollywood Reporter (Michael Rechtshaffen)
Head-poundingly (in a good way), sidesplittingly funny. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Hollywood Reporter (Michael Rechtshaffen)
NYC Movie Guru
It's a non-stop laugh riot that's destined to become a comedy classic. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at NYC Movie Guru
The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)
It's the perfect level of my kind of comedy. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)
mtv.com
Its boisterous fun has strong libidinous overtones, it never takes the plunge into full, frothing raunch. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at mtv.com
Clothes on Film (Chris Laverty)
Independent (Anthony Quinn)
Daily Mirror [UK] (David Edwards)
Tolucan Times (Tony Medley)
Redbox (James Rocchi)
Exactly the shot of drinking-age-and-up comedy the summer needs before the soda-pop PG-13 sticky-sweetness of summer blockbuster season hits. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Redbox (James Rocchi)
JoBlo's Movie Emporium (JimmyO)
Easily one of the funniest films so far this year. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at JoBlo's Movie Emporium (JimmyO)
Sunday Mirror [UK] (Mark Adams)
Filmcritic.com (Bill Gibron)
easily one of the funniest films of the year. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Filmcritic.com (Bill Gibron)
Total Film (Neil Smith)
Succeeding equally well as rowdy romp, what-happened mystery and man-crush comedy, /The Hangover/ is an unexpected winner. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Total Film (Neil Smith)
Arizona Republic (Bill Goodykoontz)
It's so funny it might convince you that sometimes the raunchy journey is worth the laugh-out-loud reward. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Goodykoontz)
MovieWeb (Julian Roman)
Ninety minutes of pure perverse laughter ...read the complete Hangover movie review at MovieWeb (Julian Roman)
ComingSoon.net (Edward Douglas)
Todd Phillips masterfully shows that the combination of unexpected ingredients can create a potent chemistry that elevates a simple premise. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at ComingSoon.net (Edward Douglas)
Los Angeles Times (Betsy Sharkey)
The Movie Minute (Joanna Langfield)
This tried and true plot line not only works, but works hilariously. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at The Movie Minute (Joanna Langfield)
Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)
Needcoffee.com (Widgett Walls)
Boxoffice Magazine (Amy Nicholson)
Miraculously, we still like Alan and Stu and Phil even as we crack up when they get tazed and beaten. Phillips has pulled off a feat of balance that rivals Cirque du Soleil down the Strip. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Amy Nicholson)
Sky Movies (Tim Evans)
The cracking script - a veritable treasure trove of smart one-liners - and beautifully-worked setpieces make this one of the most enjoyable comedies of the year. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Sky Movies (Tim Evans)
Entertainment Spectrum
The guilty pleasure comedy hit of the summer has arrived. This could be the breakout role for Galifianakis. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Entertainment Spectrum
The Qnetwork
There is little in The Hangover that we haven't seen before. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at The Qnetwork
San Francisco Chronicle
The funniest movie so far this year. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at San Francisco Chronicle
Toronto Star
A strong cast, a quirky script with some unexpected twists and a steady hand from the director's chair make this a desert ride on the wild side a worthy road trip. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Toronto Star
Go Memphis article
We might call "The Hangover" a bachelor party movie without a bachelor party. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Go Memphis article
Salon.com
The Hangover is a cut above the typical contemporary guy-friendship comedy. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Salon.com
Newark Star-Ledger
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. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Newark Star-Ledger
New York Post
Memento meets Old School? It's party time. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at New York Post
What Would Toto Watch?
It's a dizzying array of bawdy set pieces buoyed by a eclectic cast. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at What Would Toto Watch?
The Detroit News
Superbly cast, well-written and so silly it makes your teeth ache. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at The Detroit News
Seacoast Newspaper
It's just funny - pretty much from start to finish, or at least whenever Zach Galifianakis' 'Fat Jesus' is on screen. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Seacoast Newspaper
Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
The Hangover pushes the boundaries of good taste, good sense, and good will toward man. And you'll feel good about it all. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
Kansas City Star (David Frese)
Critic's Notebook (Robert Levin)
An energetic jaunt through ribald territory, centered on the theory that some guys just can't handle Vegas. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Critic's Notebook (Robert Levin)
Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Film Journal International (Rex Roberts)
The odd quartet check into a swank suite in Caesar's Palace, change clothes and head out for a night of good clean fun, first toasting Doug with shots of Jaegermeister atop the hotel roof, the neon lights of Vegas glowing in the dusk. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Film Journal International (Rex Roberts)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
As goofy and strange as the situations become, we wouldn't have any investment in this sometimes distasteful silliness if we didn't like these guys. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
ReelTalk Movie Reviews (John P. McCarthy)
A fantastic blend of raunch and more cerebral, off-the-wall humor, this isn't a case of reinventing the wheel but shaping it so that it rolls pure. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (John P. McCarthy)
USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Though the film falters toward the end, The Hangover is a side-splitting adventure you'll still be laughing about the morning after. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Joe Williams)
The payoff to the mysteries isn't nearly as interesting as the setup, and the ending of the movie is disappointingly squishy. But while it's riding a hot streak, The Hangover is a rush. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Joe Williams)
HitFix
"The Hangover" pretty much demands you leave your Political Correctness Cap at home and urges you to eschew your Thinking Cap as well. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at HitFix
Laramie Movie Scope
The jokes and sight gags are hit and miss, but the plot and characters are compelling and it has a lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing right up to the end. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Laramie Movie Scope
Reeling Reviews (Laura Clifford)
Director Todd Phillips ups the ante on his "Old School" antics in "The Hangover," a movie which solidifies the comic chops of Cooper and Helms and should make a star out of Galifianakis. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Reeling Reviews (Laura Clifford)
Beliefnet (Nell Minow)
A cheerfully outrageous comedy, with much of the humor coming from discovering with them just how appallingly they have violated every standard of appropriate behavior. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Beliefnet (Nell Minow)
Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
The Hangover has scattered laughs (many in the cathartically funny end-credit montage), but overall it's more amusing than hilarious. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
Cinematical (Eric D. Snider)
As gleefully dirty as Old School, and maybe funnier. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Cinematical (Eric D. Snider)
Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
Cooper, Helms and especially Galifianakis find the right tone to give Phillips' Vegas dream world a funny, slightly dangerous appeal. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
HollywoodChicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
By the end of the film, these guys are our pals. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at HollywoodChicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Austin Chronicle (Kimberly Jones)
The Hangover instantly has the feel of one for the ages. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Austin Chronicle (Kimberly Jones)
CinemaBlend.com (Katey Rich)
Comedies this good don't happen by accident, even if a little organization could have made The Hangover much better than what it is. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at CinemaBlend.com (Katey Rich)
At the Movies (Australia) (Margaret Pomeranz)
Hollywood Chicago
By the end of the film, these guys are our pals. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Hollywood Chicago
7M Pictures
The Hangover knows its place and plays right to it. If you see this movie, you'll probably be offended and definitely be disturbed, but you'll also laugh quite a bit. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at 7M Pictures
SpoutBlog (Karina Longworth)
The Hangover, Todd Phillips' return to fratastic form after the disappointing School for Scoundrels, marks itself as an aesthetic step up for the Old School director right from the get go. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at SpoutBlog (Karina Longworth)
BrandonFibs.com
Vulgar, obscene and offensive, The Hangover is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a very long time and is surely destined to become a comedy classic. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at BrandonFibs.com
Washington Post
Even though Apatow has no fingerprints over this movie, The Hangover follows in the same surprise-me tradition: It takes us to the dumb side but comes back with something unexpectedly affecting. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Washington Post
E! Online (N.V. Cooper)
It has a couple of stand-out characters in Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, and enough T-shirt-worthy catchphrases to keep the chuckles coming. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at E! Online (N.V. Cooper)
ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
To its credit, "The Hangover" transfers to the audience the smelly, still inebriated state that the title promises. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
eFilmCritic
There's a better cast here than there deserves to be. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at eFilmCritic
Newsday (Rafer Guzman)
Scene Stealers
Great casting benefits the movie hugely, as does a premise centered around the mystery of what happened, but its choppy editing does it no favors. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Scene Stealers
Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)
Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)
Hollywood.com
Amusing but a bit overrated. Yes, it's a great comic premise but only partially fulfilled in a raucous summer comedy aimed squarely at the frat boy in all of us. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Hollywood.com
ReviewExpress.com
The juxtaposition of the characters is ingenious. This is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at ReviewExpress.com
Hollywood & Fine (Marshall Fine)
We've all had that kind of morning after a night of overindulgence. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Hollywood & Fine (Marshall Fine)
eFilmCritic Review
There's a better cast here than there deserves to be. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at eFilmCritic Review
Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)
As forgettable as a night of hard drinking, this frat-level comedy is good for a few laughs but never quite gels. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)
Village Voice (Jim Ridley)
What Fletch was to plaid-checked watercooler wits in the '80s, what National Lampoon's Van Wilder was to college-bound douches at the dawn of Dubya, that's what 2003's Old School is to Gen-X frat rats-a secret-handshake movie. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Village Voice (Jim Ridley)
Associated Press (Christy Lemire)
You'd be forgiven for thinking "The Hangover" is a documentary. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Associated Press (Christy Lemire)
Sacramento Bee
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. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Sacramento Bee
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Keep your expectations low, and you'll be amused. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
It is a situation comedy dressed in narrative clothing, and the story it tells is less amusing than the high-concept premise. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Sydney Morning Herald (Paul Byrnes)
Daily Telegraph (Tim Robey)
jackiekcooper.com (Jackie K. Cooper)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
It's hilarious in spurts and several bit players score, but the movie doesn't have enough momentum to carry it through the dead spots. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
This is London (Derek Malcolm)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
AV Club (Keith Phipps)
It's a film about forgetting that seems designed to be forgotten. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at AV Club (Keith Phipps)
Metromix.com (Matt Pais)
The rush of craziness like stealing cop cars and marrying strippers comes from the actual act of doing it--uh, so I've heard--not just being told about it the next day. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Metromix.com (Matt Pais)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Here's a classic case of expectations vs. the actual experience, which in my case worked heavily against the film. The trailer for The Hangover is two minutes of hilarious jokes, married to what looks like a great idea for a film. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
ScreenDaily.com
The Hangover opens in the US on June 5, the same weekend as another comedic entry, Will Ferrell's Land Of The Lost. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at ScreenDaily.com
Reel Film Reviews
...the movie suffers from a variety of problems that are ultimately exacerbated by Phillips' progressively desperate efforts at wringing laughs out of material that could hardly be more tedious. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Reel Film Reviews
Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
Denver Post
Early in this unraveling adventure, a Vegas tourist quips, "Some guys just can't handle Vegas." Yeah, we know a couple: writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Denver Post
News Blaze
A picture which periodically pushes the envelope further than the average moviegoer is probably capable of stomaching via ill-advised departures into such taboo subjects as child molestation, all in search of a cheap joke. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at News Blaze
NY Daily News
Amusing as it is, it never feels real. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at NY Daily News
Minneapolis Star Tribune
The Hangover, like the condition for which it's named, has some spirited moments, but more often it stumbles and slurs, regurgitating earlier pleasures and praying for the fog to lift. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune
Paste Magazine
While I'm not ready to call the film a triumph, its approach to humor is smart enough to benefit greatly from low expectations. Which is to say, it's an enjoyable piece of trash. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Paste Magazine
One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
Coarse but only intermittently amusing example of boys' night out...Among guy flicks this one comes in around the middle, neither unmentionably terrible nor particularly memorable. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
tonymacklin.net (Tony Macklin)
The Hangover is nothing special. It's a fair-to-middling bombardment of humor thrown against the wailing walls of Las Vegas. It misses as much as it hits. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at tonymacklin.net (Tony Macklin)
Time Out Sydney (Tom Huddleston)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Giant Magazine
It's hard to think of any truly memorable moments from this creatively challenged outing. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Giant Magazine
The Baltimore Sun
Surrender your soul to its foul mesh of cheap cleverness and vulgarity. and you howl like a delighted demon. Resist, and you feel all sense and sensibility being crushed in its cogs. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at The Baltimore Sun
Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Surely, whatever tourist board copywriter or marketing guru came up with "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" deserves a cut of the profits of every movie set in Sin City these days. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Creative Loafing
This represents the worst sort of pandering slop, the type that appeases impressionable audiences who don't even realize they're being insulted. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Creative Loafing
Washington City Paper
Unless you find the man-infant Galifianakis appealing, you'll surely spend The Hangover wistfully remembering the days when Will Ferrell made good movies and Luke Wilson was still relevant. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Washington City Paper
Windy City Times
The Polaroids of the bachelor party shown during the end titles deliver the genuine laughs the movie has promised; they're better than the entire movie that preceded it. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Windy City Times
TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
A glib, drab, fatally unfunny study in mean-spirited mediocrity. Goes down about as easily as Benadryl spiked with tequila. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
Movie Retriever
When the years have passed and the buzz has worn off, I honestly feel that people will look back at The Hangover and wonder what they laughed at in 2009. It's the Zima of movie comedies. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Movie Retriever
TIME Magazine
This is a bromance so primitive it's practically Bro-Magnon. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at TIME Magazine
eFilmCritic.com (David Cornelius)
efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)
A film so completely stupid and hateful that you get the sense that it was financed by the Atlantic City tourism board as a way of besmirching the good name of their chief competition. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)
Time Out New York (Ben Kenigsberg)
You'll laugh three or four times and probably won't remember why. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at Time Out New York (Ben Kenigsberg)
eFilmCritic
With The Hangover Todd Phillips has officially become the Uwe Boll of comedy. ...read the complete Hangover movie review at eFilmCritic
User Reviews
by Tetramobile on July 17, 2009 New York, New York
I'm not the type of person to like these films, but this one was pretty good. Although, I don't think it was as great as most people. I do think that they really relied on Zack to make things funny in the movie. Without him, there would really ...
by txsxyeyes on July 14, 2009 Porter, Texas
As the title says,where else is there to celebrate the last days of your single hood, then vegas, now if only you could remember what happened that night.. The Hangover, is brilliantly clever, with a great cast, and even better script that keeps you ...
by gd2525 on July 17, 2009 Blackwood, New Jersey
One of the funniest movies I've seen in the last five years. Every performance is funny and the story gets you invloved in what really did happen to the characters. Added in are strong side performances and a halarious ending credit sequence makes ...
by cicero0000 on July 16, 2009 Half Moon Bay, California
A male-fulfillment fantasy that tells straight men that they can get away with anything in Vegas and that the women who object aren't worth keeping around. Not my cup of tea, but I can't deny that the audience was laughing very ...
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