The Hangover: Unrated Blu-ray/DVD

Studio: Warner Bros.

Dec 15, 2009 Web Exclusive By NIck Hyman

Director Todd Phillips was on the outs from some movie fans after the terrible back-to-back crappiness of Starsky & Hutch and School for Scoundrels (not to mention having his involvement virtually erased from Borat), but 2009 was as perfect a year as any for a comeback. The Hangover provided a much-needed hilarious escape from the many overbloated disappointments (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Terminator Salvation, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) of the sequel-laden summer and became one of the most successful R-rated comedies of all time. The well-told story of the repercussions of a bachelor party and the hijinks that ensue the next day took elements from Phillips' previous comedies Road Trip and Old School and added the 1-2-3 punch of actors Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and the scene-stealing Zach Galifianakis to great effect.

The studio must know that this is a movie that people will want to buy more than once-that's the only way to explain the severely lacking DVD and Blu-ray special features. The film does receive a good commentary from the three leads and director Phillips, but a gag reel, a smattering of brief outtakes, and an extended performance from The Dan Band feel like mere crumbs, especially when the commentators are telling a cool story and tell us "you'll see this deleted scene on the DVD"-and we actually don't. The most notable extra is the inclusion of 100 new photos from the missing camera that were seen during the end credits, but there's a reason why they were left out in the first place. The lack of a substantial making-of and deleted scenes lead me to believe that we'll get another version of The Hangover-most likely when the inevitable sequel hits.

(www.hangovermovie.com, www.warnerblu.com, www.warnervideo.com)

Author rating: 7/10

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Average reader rating: 7/10