| The Hangover Part III | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Todd Phillips |
| Written by |
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| Based on | The Hangover byJon Lucas Scott Moore |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lawrence Sher |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Christophe Beck |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $103 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $362 million[3] |
The Hangover Part III is a 2013 Americancomedy film produced byLegendary Pictures and distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures. It is the third and final installment inThe Hangover trilogy and the sequel toThe Hangover Part II (2011). The film starsBradley Cooper,Ed Helms,Zach Galifianakis,Ken Jeong,Jeffrey Tambor,Heather Graham,Justin Bartha, andJohn Goodman withTodd Phillips directing a screenplay written by himself andCraig Mazin.
The film is darker in tone than the previous two instalments and follows the "Wolfpack" (Phil, Stu, Doug, and Alan) as they try to get Alan the help he needs after facing a mental breakdown, brought on from the bachelor party in Bangkok. However, things go awry when an incident from the original film comes back to haunt them.
The Hangover Part III was announced days before the release ofThe Hangover Part II and Mazin, who co-wrotePart II, was brought on board. In January 2012, the principal actors re-signed to star. In March 2012, Warner Bros. announced a U.S.Memorial Weekend release. The supporting roles were cast between June and September 2012.Principal photography began in September 2012 inLos Angeles,California before moving toNogales, Arizona andLas Vegas, Nevada, concluding that November. The film had its world premiere on May 20, 2013, inLos Angeles, California, and was theatrically released worldwide on May 23, 2013, byWarner Bros. Pictures. At the box office, the film earned $362 million against a production budget of $103 million. It received generally negative reviews from critics, who found it a disappointing conclusion to the trilogy.
Leslie Chow escapes from prison during aprison riot inThailand by digging a hole in a wall.[a] Meanwhile, Alan Garner causes a multi-car freeway pileup after he purchases agiraffe and accidentally decapitates it on a low overpass. Alan's father Sid, furious, dies of aheart attack during an argument with him.
After Sid's funeral, Alan's brother-in-law Doug informs Phil and Stu that Alan has been off hisADHD medication and is out of control. The group attends an intervention in which Alan agrees to visit arehabilitation facility inArizona and seek treatment as long as the "Wolfpack" take him there.
Phil's minivan is rammed off the road by a rental truck and the Wolfpack is taken hostage. Crime lord Marshall later confronts them. He says that weeks aftertheir shenanigans in Las Vegas, Chow hijacked half of a $42 million gold heist, and, seeing how Alan has been the only one to communicate with Chow during his imprisonment, deduced that they could locate him and retrieve the gold.
Marshall takes Doug as insurance and gives the others three days to find Chow, or else Doug will be killed. Alan sets up a meeting with Chow inTijuana, where Stu and Phil will hide and attempt to drug him. However, Alan accidentally reveals their location and Chow forces them to confess they are working for Marshall. Chow plans to retrieve the stolen gold from the basement of a Mexican villa he previously owned.
They break into the house and retrieve the gold, but Chow double-crosses them by locking them in the basement, resetting the security system, and escaping in Phil's minivan. They are arrested but are mysteriously released from the police station. A limousine picks them up and takes them back to the same villa they helped Chow break into, where they discover that Chow had deceived them: the villa actually belonged to Marshall the entire time, and the gold they stole was the other half that Chow didn’t get from Marshall. He spares the group for the oversight but kills his head enforcer, "Black Doug," after failing to stop the four, reminding them of their now two-day deadline.
The trio tracks Phil's phone, which was left in the minivan, and find it left outside apawn shop inLas Vegas. The owner, Cassie, says that Chow traded a gold brick for only $18,000, far less than its actual $400,000 value and gives them a business card for an escort service Chow is using.
Using Stu's former lover Jade as their contact, they learn that Chow is barricaded in the penthouse suite ofCaesars Palace. Phil and Alan sneak into his suite from the roof, but Chow escapes, jumping from the balcony and parachuting down to theStrip. Stu catches up to him, locking him in the trunk of Marshall's limousine.
The trio take the gold and meet with Marshall, who releases Doug when they reveal they cannot secure the original half as Chow lost it in Bangkok. Although Marshall had promised not to harm Chow, he shoots up the trunk of the car, presumably killing him.
However, it was revealed that Alan had given Chow a chance to escape the trunk through a backseat compartment and armed him with a gun. Marshall finds the trunk empty before Chow emerges from the limo moonroof and kills him and his bodyguard. Chow spares Phil, Stu, and Doug because Alan saved his life.
Chow gives Alan a gold bar, but he declines and ends their friendship due to Chow's bad influence. While retrieving Phil's minivan from the pawnshop, Alan stays behind to date Cassie. Six months later, before his wedding, Alan leaves the Wolfpack.
The Wolfpack plus Cassie later stage another wild party that they cannot remember. Stu awakens to find himself wearing a lady's thong andbreast implants. Alan remembers that the wedding cake was a gift from Chow, who emerges from the bathroom naked,[b] carrying akatana. Hismonkey drops from the ceiling onto Stu, startling him.
In May 2011, days before the release ofThe Hangover Part II, directorTodd Phillips said that "there already are plans for a third film but no script or start date".[5] About the possibility ofThe Hangover Part III, Phillips stated, "If we were to do a third one, if the audience, if the desire was there, I think we have a very clear idea where that would head. It's certainly not in the same template that you've seen these movies. The third would be very much a finale and an ending. The most I could say about it, what's in my head, and I haven't discussed it with these actors, is that it is not following that template but very much a new idea. As far as where it takes place, I said I'm very open."[6] Also during May,Craig Mazin, who co-wroteThe Hangover Part II, entered early talks to write the script for the third installment.[7]
In December 2011,Bradley Cooper appeared onThe Graham Norton Show to promoteThe Hangover Part II DVD and Blu-ray release, where he stated he "hoped" thatThe Hangover Part III would start shooting in September 2012, and also stated that Todd Phillips was working on the script.[8] In January 2012, it was reported that starsBradley Cooper,Zach Galifianakis, andEd Helms were nearing deals to reprise their roles in the third installment with each receiving $15 million (against the backend) for their participation.[9] In February 2012,Mike Tyson stated that he would return in the third film,[10] although he later toldTMZ that "I have no idea what's going on. I'm not in this one."[11]
In March 2012, Warner Bros. announced that it was moving forward with the sequel and scheduled a release date of May 24, 2013, again aiming for aMemorial Day opening weekend.[12] In June 2012, it was reported that the third installment would return toLas Vegas and would shoot on theLas Vegas Strip and atCaesars Palace. The report stated that much of the film would also be shot inLos Angeles andTijuana and include a storyline that involves the boys rescuing Alan from a mental hospital.[13]
In July 2012,Ken Jeong signed on to return in a significantly expanded role.[14] The following week,Mike Epps entered negotiations to reprise his role of Black Doug.[15] In August 2012, it was reported thatHeather Graham would be back to play Jade the stripper.[16] A few days later,Sasha Barrese was signed to reprise her role as Doug's wife, Tracy.[17] In August,John Goodman began talks to join the cast in a small role, then described as an antagonist in the same vein asPaul Giamatti's character inPart II.[18] In September 2012,Justin Bartha said he had signed on to return in the sequel.[19]
Principal photography began on September 10, 2012, in Los Angeles.[20][21] The following week,Melissa McCarthy entered negotiations to join the cast in a small role and Lela Loren was cast as a police officer.[22][23] On October 8, 2012, production moved toNogales, Arizona, which doubled as Tijuana in the film.[24] On October 20 and 21, a stretch ofCalifornia State Route 73, a toll road inOrange County was closed for filming.[25] At the end of the month, production moved to Las Vegas for several weeks of filming.[26] Principal photography concluded in Las Vegas on November 16, 2012.[27]
The Hangover Part III: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is thesoundtrack of the film. It was released on May 21, 2013.[28]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "MMMBop" | Hanson | 4:30 |
| 2. | "My Life" | Billy Joel | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Ave Maria" | Fletcher Sheridan | 1:05 |
| 4. | "Everybody's Talkin'" | Harry Nilsson | 2:50 |
| 5. | "Down in Mexico" | The Coasters | 3:15 |
| 6. | "Hurt" | Ken Jeong | 1:22 |
| 7. | "Mother ’93" | Danzig | 3:24 |
| 8. | "Fuckin' Problems" | ASAP Rocky featuring2 Chainz,Drake &Kendrick Lamar | 3:53 |
| 9. | "I Believe I Can Fly" | Ken Jeong | 0:12 |
| 10. | "Fever" | The Cramps | 4:16 |
| 11. | "N.I.B." | Black Sabbath | 6:04 |
| Total length: | 39:49 | ||
Other songs featured in the film, but not on the soundtrack include "Hurt" byNine Inch Nails, "The Stranger" by Billy Joel, "N.I.B." byBlack Sabbath, "Dark Fantasy" byKanye West, "In the Air Tonight" byPhil Collins, and "Careless Whisper" byGeorge Michael.
In early May 2013, Warner Bros. moved the release date forThe Hangover Part III to Thursday, May 23, a day beforeUniversal Pictures releasedFast & Furious 6, in an attempt to beat the Memorial Day weekend rush.[29]The Hangover Part III premiered on Monday, May 20, 2013, at theWestwood Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California.[30]
The Hangover Part III was released on DVD and Blu-ray, on October 8, 2013, in the United States[31][32] and December 2, 2013, in the United Kingdom byWarner Home Video.[32]
The Hangover Part III grossed $112.2 million in North America and $249.8 million in other territories for a total of $362 million, against a budget of $103 million.[33]
The film grossed $3.1 million in late Wednesday night screenings, ahead of its wide release on Friday, May 24, 2013.[34] It was projected to earn $80 million in its first four days. The film ended up on second place during its opening weekend behindFast & Furious 6, grossing $53.5 million over its first four days, including $41.7 million, far below the $135 million earned byThe Hangover Part II in its opening days.[35][36]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval percentage of 21% based on 202 reviews, with the critics consensus reading: "Less a comedy than an angrily dark action thriller,The Hangover Part III diverges from the series' rote formula but offers nothing compelling in its place."[37] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 30 out of 100 based on 37 critic reviews, meaning "Generally Unfavorable".[38] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[39]
Describing the film's negative reception,Variety speculated that the series had become critic-proof.[40]
Andrew Barker ofVariety gave the film a negative review, writing, "Ditching the hangovers, the backward structure, the fleshed-out characters and any sense of debauchery or fun, this installment instead just thrusts its long-suffering protagonists into a rote chase narrative".[41] Barker seemed to think that it was 'debatable' whetherThe Hangover Part III should be considered a comedy at all, seeing as its events 'more often plays like a loopily plotted, exposition-heavy actioner.' He states: 'That the plot is convoluted and ridiculous isn’t really a problem, but by playing things completely chronologically — and worse, soberly — this film’s shenanigans feel witlessly arbitrary in a way that the previous installments avoided.'[42]
Stephen Farber ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Young viewers looking for unbridled raunch will be sadly disappointed, and so will other moviegoers expecting more than a few wan chuckles."[43] Steven Holden ofThe New York Times calledThe Hangover Part III "a dull, lazy walkthrough that along withThe Big Wedding has a claim to be the year's worst star-driven movie."[44] Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times said, "I'm not sure who let the dogs out this time, but they should be made to pay."[45]Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times wrote, "Director Todd Phillips delivers a film so different from the first two, I'm not even sure it's supposed to be a comedy."[46]
Christy Lemire of theAssociated Press gave the film a positive review, writing, "The Hangover Part III runs a different sort of risk by going to darker and more dangerous places than its predecessors, both artistically and emotionally. It dares to alienate the very audience that madeThe Hangover the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time."[47]
At the40th People's Choice Awards,The Hangover Part III received nominations for Favorite Comedic Movie and Favorite Comedic Movie Actor (Cooper and Galifianakis).[48] Its teaser trailer was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2013Golden Trailer Awards.[49] The film garnered a nomination forWorst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel at the34th Golden Raspberry Awards,[50] Sequel or Remake That Shouldn't Have Been Made at the 2013Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards,[51][52] and Hollywood Film Award at the17th Hollywood Film Awards.[53][54] Location manager Gregory Alpert won Location Professional of the Year – Features at the 2013California On Location Awards.[55]
