The Hangover is your standard buddy comedy. It involves a raucous bachelor party in Vegas where some very bad things happen, but not quite as bad as the ones in Very Bad Things. Doug (Justin Bartha) is the groom-to-be and he's excited for his weekend away with his pals, and has the coolest father-in-law ever (played by Jeffrey Tambor) who not only happily loans his prized Mercedes, but also doles out advice about how herpes is the one thing that doesn't stay in Vegas. True. Very true. The only downside to Doug's whole awesome in-law thing is Alan (Zach Galifianakis) who is brother to bride Tracy (Sasha Barrese). He's a little ... off. And he's tagging along on the trip. Doug's groomsmen, Stu (Ed Helms, of Office fame) and Phil (Bradley Cooper, of Alias, and some other movies too, fame) are also along for the ride. Phil's a schoolteacher who is married and claims to be totally miserable in his life and can't believe that his best friend is stupidly getting hitched. Stu's a dentist who is dating the shrewish Melissa (played by the awesome Rachael Harris), and in order to go on the trip he has to lie and tell his girlfriend that they are really going to Napa for a weekend of tame wine tasting. Which, if she'd seen Sideways she'd be skeptical about, but she hasn't so she sends him on his way with strict guidelines.

Once they get to Vegas, they sneak up to the roof of Caesar's Palace (the hotel, not the real one where Caesar lived... in case you are like Alan and need some clarification) and toast to their night on the town with some Jägermeister that Alan has proffered. That's the last thing they remember. They wake up the next AM with a tiger in their bathroom, their lux suite totally trashed, Stu missing a tooth and Doug completely missing. They spend the rest of the day trying to piece together clues from the cop car they apparently valet parked, the hospital band around Phil's wrist and the helpful guy at the 24-hour wedding chapel. It's not pretty for any of them, especially since they all end up getting slapped or punched in the face, or otherwise beaten to a pulp during the course of the film, but it sure is enjoyable as a viewer.

The main ensemble is solid, with the only weak spot being Bartha, but since he's missing for 80 percent of the film it is easy enough to overlook. The supporting cast and cameos are also spot on. Ken Jeong makes a perfectly crazy gangster type, Mike Epps is a wonderful dopey drug dealer, Rob Riggle is a marginally insane cop, with Cleo King as his equally pissed off partner. Heather Graham is surprisingly enjoyable as a stripper/prostitute, Bryan Callen runs the chapel with an iron fist, Dan Finnerty (of the Dan Band) is an most awesome wedding singer who does the best ever cover of "Fame," that baby is damned cute and Mike Tyson has a remarkable sense of humor. It's pretty damned impressive. However, this is Galifiankis' movie. He may not be the groom, or the best man, or even supposed to be there, but he totally steals the show. He's just flat out funny. Even when he is there as the butt of the jokes (i.e. being called Fat Jesus) his facial expressions managed to make me crack up. He even made me rethink the way I say retard... not that I say it that often because I know it is offensive and whatever, but in casual conversation it slips out and doesn't "ritard" sound so much classier anyway?

Seriously. You should go see this movie this weekend. It will make you laugh out loud. And if you do go, make sure you stick around to watch the credits for some of the photographic evidence of their wild night in Vegas. I had tears of laughter streaking down my face after seeing some of them, and I swear it isn't just because I don't get out all that much... though that might have something to do with it.