The Hangover Part III

In 2009 they rocked Las Vegas and in 2011 they invaded Thailand. Now in 2013 The Wolfpack are back, in a trilogy finale that thankfully takes Phil, Stu and Alan in some surprising and oddly sober directions.

Alan (Zach Galifianakis) has become increasingly unstable, having taken to accidentally beheading exotic animals and inducing parental heart-attacks in his spare time. Doug (Justin Bartha), Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms) all feel he needs medical attention, so plan a trip to a facility that promises rehabilitation for troubled minds. However, en-route they are kidnapped by gangster Marshall (John Goodman) and his cronies; insisting that the boys help him uncover the whereabouts of old friend and vile felon Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong). Taking Doug as insurance, Marshall sets the Wolfpack loose, their search for Chow taking them from Tijuana to Vegas.

Director Todd Phillips shifts the storytelling dynamic in a necessarily different direction here, imbuing his finale with more of a fixation on spectacle than major guffaws. Phillips’ bouncy directorial energy and eye for physical tomfoolery elevates this entry over its immediate predecessor. This time round the characters are pitted against entirely new challenges, including break-ins, airborne chases and maximum-security escapes, all with added levels of Ken Jeong.

Cooper and Helms have really grown into their roles whilst Galifianakis and Jeong still offer potent weirdo firepower. The Hangover Part 3 feels like it was made with care and affection, the guys seemingly committed to seeing out the bawdy saga in style. Whatever you do, stay until the end; post-credit stings have a habit of disappointing, but this one doesn’t. It’s a crackerjack way to bid adieu to this bunch of questionable misfits.

Daniel Kelly