Technical Specs

• Blu-ray
• BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
• Theatrical & Unrated
• Digital Copy (Theatrical)
• Two-Disc Set

Video Resolution/Codec

• 1080p/VC-1

Aspect Ratio(s)

• 2.40:1

Audio Formats

• English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Subtitles/Captions

• English SDH
• French Subtitles
• Spanish Subtitles

Supplements

• Featurettes
• Gag Reel
• Still Gallery
• Digital Copy

Exclusive HD Content

• PIP Commentary
• BD-Live Exclusive Content

Best Sellers and Deals

The Hangover (Blu-ray)

Warner Brothers / 2009 / 108 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: December 15, 2009

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Reviewed by David Krauss
Friday, December 18, 2009

The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

Boys will be boys, but send a posse of red-blooded males to Vegas and chances are good they'll morph into a herd of wild animals running amok. A few drinks, a lap dance or two, a bit of carousing, and some controlled substances will surely unleash the crazed adolescent beast lurking within all of us with a Y chromosome. If we're lucky, what happens in Vegas really will stay there, and few films depict the manic mayhem of a lost Sin City weekend better than 'The Hangover.' Todd Phillips' comedy doesn't always score a bull's-eye, but it's the next best thing to cruising The Strip – a no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners romp that takes Vegas indulgence to the nth degree and beyond. For some, this bawdy farce will spark fond memories of past debaucheries, but for more reserved and conservative guys (like me), it allows them to connect with their inner wild child and experience vicarious thrills from the relative safety of their own living rooms.

'The Hangover' is best taken with a grain of salt – or better yet, some grain alcohol – as it tells the over-the-top tale of four buddies who escape to Vegas for a blowout bachelor party for the soon-to-be-married Doug (Justin Bartha). Other members of the rowdy quartet include Phil (Bradley Cooper), a jaded schoolteacher with a wife and young son; Stu (Ed Helms), the henpecked boyfriend of the shrewish Melissa (Rachael Harris); and Alan (Zach Galifianakis), the chubby, eccentric brother of Doug's fiancée, Tracy (Sasha Barrese). After a rooftop toast, a vow of secrecy, and some heavy imbibing, the friends take to the streets, and when they wake up the next morning with splitting headaches, they can't remember anything they did the night before. Their Caesar's Palace villa has been irrevocably ransacked, there's a live tiger skulking around in their bathroom, they discover a lost baby in their closet, and Doug is nowhere to be found. With the clock ticking toward his impending nuptials, Phil, Stu, and Alan frantically try to reconstruct their wild evening and find their MIA friend, but they've got to go through a heart-of-gold hooker (Heather Graham), a bad-ass Asian mobster (Ken Jeong), and Iron Mike Tyson himself to get the necessary clues and survive the train wreck that's become their Vegas odyssey.

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Like Vegas itself, 'The Hangover' requires a go-with-the-flow, take-it-to-the-limit attitude to fully enjoy the flick. There's enough weird and stupid stuff packed inside to fill several movies, but the personalities are so engaging and the action so outrageous, it's easy to hop aboard the train and handle whatever the film throws at us. Phillips' easygoing style suits the material to a T, and his laid-back direction makes the out-of-control antics easy to digest. Though I loved how Scorsese tackled a similar-themed story in 'After Hours,' the more mainstream approach here adds a bizarre hint of realism to the guys' misadventures.

Cooper, Helms, Bartha, and Galifianakis make a winning quartet – a motley group of friends to be sure, but that's what makes the scenario work. Each brings their own crazy quirks to the table, and as the junket progresses, a palpable sense of camaraderie grows. We may not be able to identify with any of them, but can appreciate how this experience tightens their bond, and by the end of the film, it's tough to resist the urge to grab a bunch of buddies and book a Vegas getaway – albeit a slightly more sedate one – posthaste.

Will 'The Hangover' appeal to everyone? Absolutely not. Its edgy brand of comedy will either captivate or alienate, depending on your point of view. Many will find it vulgar, crude, idiotic, a bit raunchy, and hopelessly juvenile. And so will those who like it. In this year's battle of comic buddy films, I still must give the nod to 'I Love You, Man,' which for me, scored higher on the laugh meter and possessed more depth and heart. But 'The Hangover' scores high, too. In short, it's a binge movie, something to dive into when you're craving excess, and easy to purge from your system when it's over.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

This edition of 'The Hangover' includes both the original theatrical and unrated cuts of the film. The unrated version runs eight minutes longer than the original, but before anyone gets too excited, the extra footage doesn't include anything more explicit or controversial. Extended dialogue scenes are all you'll find, and while they're painless to watch, they add very little to the film.

The Video: Sizing Up the Picture

Smooth and clean best describes 'The Hangover' transfer, which beautifully renders the glitz, glamour, grit, and grime of Las Vegas and the surrounding desert. The 1080p/VC-1 encode possesses a slick but not artificial look that serves this buddy comedy well, with just a hint of grain lending the image welcome texture. Excellent contrast adds a nice pop to both day and night scenes, fine details are easily discernible, and shadow delineation is quite good. Colors are rich and vibrant (Graham's red dress in the casino scene looks especially bold), but always appear realistic, and close-ups often can be quite striking, if a bit too close for comfort where Galifianakis is concerned. Fleshtones are spot-on and blacks are lush and inky.

Banding and digital noise are absent, and just a tiny bit of edge sharpening is noticeable now and then. Otherwise, the transfer's pristine look remains undisturbed. Though this effort from Warner isn't quite a knock-your-eyes-out dazzler, it's still a solid rendering that does this recent film proud.

The Audio: Rating the Sound

I expected more, however, from the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, which rarely complements the story's chaotic nature. A film like 'The Hangover' should have a kick-ass, rowdy, hyper-directional mix that hurls the viewer into the confusion and disorientation the characters feel, but the audio is surprisingly bland. Yes, it's clear and well modulated, with good dynamic range and crisp accents, but surround activity stays muted and even front channel stereo separation is sporadic. Bass frequencies are rather anemic, too, save for one memorable car collision. Well-prioritized dialogue ensures that every line is clear and easy to understand, and the music gets pumped up a notch to inject some necessary adrenaline into the proceedings, but for such a crazy film, the sound remains disappointingly mainstream.

The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff

A fair amount of supplements will please fans. There's nothing much of substance (what a surprise!), but some fun inanities provide some extra chuckles.

• Map of Destruction (HD) – A clickable animated map of Vegas is the jumping off point for a selection of 13 mini-featurettes, each running under two minutes, that allow intrepid viewers to retrace the characters' steps during their Vegas ordeal. Pretty fluffy and pointless, with little of the Vegas background info that's promised in the packaging.
  
• "The Madness of Ken Jeong" (HD, 8 minutes) – A collection of deleted shtick from the very talented Mr. Jeong, who certainly pushes the envelope.
  
• "Action Mash-Up" (HD, 35 seconds) – A compilation of all the pratfalls and body blows from the film.
  
• "Three Best Friends Song" (HD, 1 minute) – Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis provide an extended version of their personal anthem.
  
• "The Dan Band!" (HD, 1 minute) – A funny live version of the '80s hit, "Fame."
  
• Gag Reel (HD, 8 minutes) – Perhaps the best extra on the disc, this gag reel actually induces a few laughs, as the guys trade barbs, screw around, and try unsuccessfully to keep a straight face during shooting.
  
• "More Pictures from the Missing Camera" (HD) – A collection of unused stills from the quintessential boys' night out.
  
• Theatrical Trailers (HD) – Previews for 'Terminator Salvation,' 'Four Christmases,' and 'Sherlock Holmes.'
  
• Digital Copy - A second disc facilitates the transfer of 'The Hangover' to portable devices via iTunes and Windows Media Player.
  

HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?

A couple of high-def exclusives don't add much to this Blu-ray edition.

• Picture-in-Picture Commentary – Watching other people watch a movie is kind of a weird concept, and I don't really see the point. Here we have director Phillips and cast members Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis lounging in a screening room shooting the breeze while the film plays and looking a little uncomfortable. Their remarks aren't particularly enlightening either, and the laid back tone kills the movie's buzz.
  
• BD-Live – Registration with the Warner BD-Live is required, but once you slog through that annoying process, you can access an exclusive "Cursing Mash-Up," a compilation of all the choice bon mots from the film, and an "Iron Mike Online Teaser," featuring the former heavyweight champ crooning Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight."
  

Easter Eggs

No easter eggs reported for 'The Hangover' yet. Found an egg? Please use our tips form to let us know, and we'll credit you with the find.

Final Thoughts

'The Hangover' may not be the funniest movie of the year, but it's a wild, testosterone-infused ride filled with outrageous situations, some funny shtick, and lots of male bonding. This Blu-ray isn't as bold as its subject matter, but it possesses good video, namby-pamby audio, and typically mindless supplements. Grab a few buddies, a few brews, and lose yourself in the chaos. Recommended.

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