On DVD - The Hangover

Movie: The Hangover
Rating: 4/5 stars

I really wasn't sure about renting The Hangover. I was really concerned that it was going to be nothing more than another asinine Adam Sandler/Will Ferrell type comedy, so was surprised when it proved to be a somewhat intelligent (this term is used rather loosely here) comedy that is asinine in it's own way, but still smartly asinine all the same.

**spoiler alert!!**
The premise is four guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, and in a case of mistaken drug use, end up taking ruffies instead of Ecstasy and three of the four wake up in their hotel room the next morning without a clue as to what happened the night before (How did the room get so trashed? Where did the tiger come from? The chicken? Whose baby is that?). The missing member of their party is the groom-to-be, so the remaining buddies try to piece together the events of their evening, discovering more and more just what they got themselves into. As they finally discover the whereabouts of their missing groom, the four make it back just in time for the wedding, with only a camera found in the car to shed anymore light on the situation. Make sure you sit through the credits to catch the pics from the camera; these are almost as good as the rest of the movie.

Not the greatest cinematic masterpiece ever, but I still found myself laughing out loud despite it all. The main cast is hysterical, the supporting cast of characters is outrageous and while there is not a believable moment in the entire film, isn't that really what these movies are all about? Just ridiculous brain candy that we don't really want to think too much about? And this fit that bill perfectly. I don't know that I'd actively rush right out to see this again, but if I were to catch it on TV or some such I'd watch it again.

On DVD - The Ugly Truth

Movie: The Ugly Truth
Rating: 4/5 stars

OK, so The Ugly Truth is just a plain fun movie. There's really nothing much to it, and it's obviously predictable, but it's still a nice bit of fluff to watch and not think about. Both leads, Katherine Heigl (TV producer and control freak Abby Richter) and Gerard Butler (public access cable shock host and self-proclaimed expert on what all guys want, Mike Chadway) are great in their respective roles and all the supporting cast are hysterical. Probably not something that I'd ever buy, but as a rental, it was well worth the money spent. It's definitely for adults (the R rating is justified, as most of the dialogue in the movie is sexually explicit, and there is a nice ass shot of Eric Winter, who plays Katherine Heigl's boyfriend), but fans of the formulaic romantic comedy who don't mind a little more explicit movie will enjoy this.