Review: 'Hangover 3' with its half-baked script is too predictable

Film: The Hangover Part 3
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, John Goodman, Melissa McCarthy
Director: Todd Philips
Rating: **

They say third time's a charm. But that isn't the case with Todd Philip's latest  instalment of The Hangover series. Like a stand up act that falls flat if the jokes are rehashed over a period of time, the film too seems to have overstayed its fame time and got into a rut.

While the first was a fluke hit and catapulted the actors and series to unimaginable fame, the second seemed like a weak attempt to cash in on the crassness and slap stick which made the first work.

The third has Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) running after Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) to help free someone who is held hostage in return for their Chinese friend.

The problem lies with the film's material. A half-baked script and constant references to the gags from the previous films makes the effort look dull and forced. Also the 'wolf pack' despite having the same characteristics don't seem to have the chemistry they had before.

For example, stand alone they might be funny and able to bring in the humour, but their greatest USP was being able to be a team. There are no tigers and strippers, and predictability chokes the actors from ever rising above the ordinary. In fact I heard someone chuckling at the jokes, even when they weren't funny, perhaps out of fear that he might not be 'that cool'.

Jeong gets to have some funny moments, but they too are over drawn and lack the razor sharp wit and mockery of the initial moments. Hard core fans of the series, who can say every dialogue and know all the trivia, will be shocked at how lazy the writing for Hangover 3 is.

Killing animals, and showing a decapitated giraffe seems to be the fodder Philips wants to feed his fans. But unlike the MTV reality show turned movie Jackass that brilliantly used profanity and adult humour to entertain, Hangover 3 seems to play safe where it shouldn't. Poor Heather Graham is wasted in an inconsequential cameo.

The end credits hint that perhaps this isn't the end of the series, but we wish the makers are in no rush and don't rely on their previous material to make the next one.

See the trailer here: