Who hasn’t had a moment, a day or a night they will never forget?  In The Hangover, four friends who are about to have a bachelor party in Las Vegas experience such a night, and it’s one that changes their lives forever. Although I usually run as fast as I can from films like this, I’m pleased to say The Hangover ends up being one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time.

Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to say I do. So his best buddies, Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms), want to make sure he has the night of his life before walking down the aisle. They didn’t invite his future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis), but the guy worms his way in and persuades his father to loan them his treasured Mercedes convertible.  

What starts out as innocent fun and frivolity goes appallingly wrong -- even by Las Vegas standards. It begins when Alan takes them to Caesars’ rooftop for an incredible view of city lights and a toast. Then they hit the casino where Alan plans to practice the card-counting method he read about on the way over. What happens next is only surmised, for the next scene takes place the morning after in the luxurious suite Stu reluctantly put on his credit card.

Ed’s missing tooth, the growling tiger in the bathroom, the whimpering baby found in a closet and the pant-less Alan don’t seem important after the men discover the groom isn’t with them. It’s now only hours until Doug must be at the altar, so the three groomsmen try to backtrack their night of bad-boy behavior. Phil believes the hospital band on his arm is the starting path. Soon we see these friends in Buster Keaton-type escapades as they run from Asian gamblers, have an unpleasant encounter with Mike Tyson, steal a cop car and almost get killed in the desert. Fortunately, one laugh after another ensues.   

Although I didn’t care for director Todd Phillips’ Old School, The Hangover is off-the-charts clever and funny. Each character has an arc that takes him from responsible to outrageously reckless, and we can’t help laughing at every turn of each one’s next hi-jinx.

Because he’s absent in most of the film, Bartha (Failure To Launch) doesn’t have much screen time, but Doug is loyal to his pals throughout the ordeal, and Bartha appears sincere in his portrayal. As the only married man among the group, Phil steps in as the natural leader to keep his buds out of trouble. Cooper sets the tone as the defenseless protector by displaying the innate  sense of humor he exhibited in Yes Man, The Rocker and the TV show Nip Tuck.

Alan is everything a Jack Black character would be, and Galifianakis (What Happens in Vegas, Reno 911!) handles every action impressively. His naïve attitude at Alan’s oddness and ability to make every action appear so haphazard is exceptional. Helms (TV's The Office) probably delivers the most remarkable performance as Ed, a serious man, engaged to a fiercely controlling woman who wants every accounting of every dollar he spends.

Although The Hangover is definitely “R” rated, screenwriters Jon Lucas and John Moore, both who penned Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Four Christmases, have upped the level of bad-behavior comedies with their great script. Interspersed among the typical antics is a mystery of what happened to the groom, and every layer uncovered seems funnier than the last.

The juxtaposition of the characters is ingenious. Phil, the weary teacher, participates in everything the hopes he doesn’t represent. Ed, the trustworthy dentist, not only looses his tooth, but his trustworthiness. Alan, a man who only wants to be in the “in crowd,” creates his own far-fetched world. All of this unfolds with complete believability, which with these scenarios, is nothing short of amazing.

The Hangover does have some very raunchy scenes, and a lot of the funny scenes are unveiled in the trailers, but anyone with an open mind who wants some good laughs will find them here.

(Released by Warner Bros. and rated “R” for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material.)

Review also posted at www.reviewexpress.com.