Movie Review: The Up Hangover
Could two movies be more diametrically opposite than the Disney/Pixar "Up" and the Todd Philips directed "The Hangover"? I mean, there's the naked boobs, naked wieners, the cursing and violence and vomiting ... and then there's The Hangover.
Oh ho ho. Hee hee hee.
What these two movies DO have in common is that they didn't QUITE live up to expectations. As far as money is concerned, they surpassed those expectations on a silver rocket. Up lags behind only the juggernaut that was Finding Nemo; and The Hangover more than doubled the predictions set up by the studio. But for me, I dunno.
I liked both of them well enough, but just not as much as I thought I would. Indeed, both of these movies were coming off of hard-to-follow features.
Let's start with Up. First of all, it's got to go on after Wall-E, which may have ingratiated itself in my all time top cartoons ever. Up there with Dumbo and Robin Hood and 101 Dalmations. I haven't really taken the time to sort through all of my favorite Disney movies, but nevertheless it's still a tough nut to crack. I like these Pixar movies quite a bit, but none seem to have the lasting appeal that Wall-E has managed. More than anything, I'd go to a Pixar film, watch it once, revert back to childhood, and then snap out of it as soon as it was over.
I knew going in that Up had a very melancholy vibe and I was totally ready for it. Looking forward to it even; it's been a while since I've had a good cry in a movie theater. And while it almost got me there, it didn't quite go far enough on that end. A lot of the time I ended up annoyed more than anything. I hate the Obnoxious Kid they like to throw into cartoons for comic relief. I rarely if ever find the Obnoxious Kid funny, in fiction or in real life.
Wall-E didn't have to strain to get laughs. It didn't even need laughs at all, but the ones it generated were at least genuine. In Up, the laughs were mostly forced, though I was pretty entertained by the dogs. Especially when they got distracted in their thoughts by a SQUIRREL!
Moving on to The Hangover, I think I was a little more satisfied by this effort, but it had a tall order to follow as well. It was in EVERY preview: from the Director who brought you "Old School". Even though that was six years ago. And Todd Philips didn't even write The Hangover (he co-wrote Old School); it was two douchebags named Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who wrote Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Four Christmases.
I'll say this about The Hangover, it was readily apparent which parts were influenced by the hack writing team of Lucas & Moore, and which parts had a little Galifianakis flavor.
I didn't like the Alan character as much as I thought I would, and honestly, that was the only reason I was going to this movie. It seemed like they really tried to restrain Galifianakis. I don't know what I was expecting; I guess maybe I've seen him live too many times. I was probably expecting more of an overbearing, smart-ass. Either that, or just turn up the Jackass Wildcard side to full blast. As it stands, Alan ends up being this guy who's incompetent, kinda creepy, kinda goofy, and in a way sympathetic. I don't want people to feel sorry for Galifianakis! I want them to loathe him because he's so obnoxious!
I could have done without the whole taser scene.
I could have used more Heather Graham, boob or boob-free. She's swell.
The climactic Fuck You scene with Stu and his girlfriend was very well done. It took all of my energy not to stand and applaud in the theater.
Anyway, while this may not be as awesome as Old School, like Old School, it could prove to grow on me. Although, I'm wary of reports saying that a sequel is already being bandied about. If it gets Zach Galifianakis more (and better) movie roles, I'm all for it.
Why he ever let Operation Dumbo Drop pass him by, I'll never know
.
Oh ho ho. Hee hee hee.
What these two movies DO have in common is that they didn't QUITE live up to expectations. As far as money is concerned, they surpassed those expectations on a silver rocket. Up lags behind only the juggernaut that was Finding Nemo; and The Hangover more than doubled the predictions set up by the studio. But for me, I dunno.
I liked both of them well enough, but just not as much as I thought I would. Indeed, both of these movies were coming off of hard-to-follow features.
Let's start with Up. First of all, it's got to go on after Wall-E, which may have ingratiated itself in my all time top cartoons ever. Up there with Dumbo and Robin Hood and 101 Dalmations. I haven't really taken the time to sort through all of my favorite Disney movies, but nevertheless it's still a tough nut to crack. I like these Pixar movies quite a bit, but none seem to have the lasting appeal that Wall-E has managed. More than anything, I'd go to a Pixar film, watch it once, revert back to childhood, and then snap out of it as soon as it was over.
I knew going in that Up had a very melancholy vibe and I was totally ready for it. Looking forward to it even; it's been a while since I've had a good cry in a movie theater. And while it almost got me there, it didn't quite go far enough on that end. A lot of the time I ended up annoyed more than anything. I hate the Obnoxious Kid they like to throw into cartoons for comic relief. I rarely if ever find the Obnoxious Kid funny, in fiction or in real life.
Wall-E didn't have to strain to get laughs. It didn't even need laughs at all, but the ones it generated were at least genuine. In Up, the laughs were mostly forced, though I was pretty entertained by the dogs. Especially when they got distracted in their thoughts by a SQUIRREL!
Moving on to The Hangover, I think I was a little more satisfied by this effort, but it had a tall order to follow as well. It was in EVERY preview: from the Director who brought you "Old School". Even though that was six years ago. And Todd Philips didn't even write The Hangover (he co-wrote Old School); it was two douchebags named Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who wrote Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Four Christmases.
I'll say this about The Hangover, it was readily apparent which parts were influenced by the hack writing team of Lucas & Moore, and which parts had a little Galifianakis flavor.
I didn't like the Alan character as much as I thought I would, and honestly, that was the only reason I was going to this movie. It seemed like they really tried to restrain Galifianakis. I don't know what I was expecting; I guess maybe I've seen him live too many times. I was probably expecting more of an overbearing, smart-ass. Either that, or just turn up the Jackass Wildcard side to full blast. As it stands, Alan ends up being this guy who's incompetent, kinda creepy, kinda goofy, and in a way sympathetic. I don't want people to feel sorry for Galifianakis! I want them to loathe him because he's so obnoxious!
I could have done without the whole taser scene.
I could have used more Heather Graham, boob or boob-free. She's swell.
The climactic Fuck You scene with Stu and his girlfriend was very well done. It took all of my energy not to stand and applaud in the theater.
Anyway, while this may not be as awesome as Old School, like Old School, it could prove to grow on me. Although, I'm wary of reports saying that a sequel is already being bandied about. If it gets Zach Galifianakis more (and better) movie roles, I'm all for it.
Why he ever let Operation Dumbo Drop pass him by, I'll never know
.
