‘The Hangover’: Comedy Hit of the Summer?
by John Nolte
–
Lou Lumenick says this might be THE comedy hit of the summer.
Nothing would be more welcome than an R-rated comedy in this genre that doesn’t resort to forgettable gross-out gags, scenes that never end and a mind-numbing runtime. And if it sounds like that’s picking on Judd Apatow … it is.
Has there been a truly great R-rated comedy since “American Pie” in 1999, I mean besides “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo,” which as we all know transcends both comedy and cinema into a kind of art beyond human articulation….
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
37 Comments
Has there been a truly great R-rated comedy since “American Pie” in 1999…
I LOVED Superbad.
Freakin' hilarious.
This is just Dude Where's My Car…did anyone notice that? Having said that, it does look very very funny.
"Embedding Disabled by Request"
Guess they didn't want the trailer on BH.
Only thing I find funny from the trailer is Mike Tyson towards the end..hilarious.
John, I know what kind of R-rated comedy you're talking about and this doesn't fit, but yes, there has been a great one since then: Team America. F*** yeah.
Oh, and like TUA said, Superbad.
Tropic Thunder
Except… knowing his personal tragedy this past week, kinda sucked some of the hilarity out of that scene.
Team America, yes! Got to love the Film Actors Guild and that scene with Hans Blix is priceless.
I love your "Biden Levels of Dumb" meter. But do you really need anything less than severe?
I'll put in my votes for Superbad, Tropic Thunder, and you know what? I liked American Pie 2 almost a little more than the first one. I can't explain it; I just do. (American Wedding on the other hand… not so much.)
Tropic Thunder definitely. Smartest comedy of the decade.
Heheheheh…. probably not, except Gobsmacked was already taken.
I know you're allergic to All Things Apatow, but for my money "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is the best comedy of the last decade … and then some.
Echoing some of the previous posters: 'Tropic Thunder' and '40-Year-Old-Virgin' were both brilliant. Also, 'Rushmore', 'South Park: the Movie', 'The Big Lebowski', 'Being John Malkovich' and 'Hot Fuzz', although I don't remember if HF was rated R or not.
I agree with each film choasDrew mentioned. However, American Pie has a special place in my heart — I love that film.
Also … I'd like to direct a bit of criticism toward Mr. Nolte. This is a wonderful site, and I appreciate your work — especially in your movie reviews.
You are billed as Big Hollywood's editor-in-chief — and you've earned it. But the way you speak of some filmmakers — like Judd Apatow and George Lucas in particular — makes you seem like a regular movie-fan blogger. Once you even said you even "hate" George Lucas. You're better than that.
If this site is to stand as a beacon of knowledge in the film journalism world, you have to be more professional. Perhaps one day one of those filmmakers would consider giving an interview here, but not if its editor-in-chief said he hated him.
List of great "R" rated (a dubious qualifier if ever there was one) comedies.
Foot Fist Way.
Twisted
Hot Fuzz
Burn After Reading
Kung Fu Hustle
Ageed. That was a shocker. Poor kid.
I mean “agreed.” Sorry: bad spelling day.
THE HANGOVER looks like one of those movies where all the funny parts are in the movie trailer. Hasn't the bachelor party gone bad bit been overdone already? Funniest (and most clever) movie I can remember seeing was TEAM AMERICA. Puppet sex scene was hilarious and it's hard not to love puppets that make fun of Matt Damon.
Wasn't the wedding cake getting ruined scene in American Wedding? I don't remember alot about that movie, but I do remember laughing out loud 'til I was sore during that ridiculous gag. That doesn't happen very much anymore.
Yes it was. I actually didn't think it was funny. The only time I laughed out loud was when the guy who brought the strippers was pretending to be the butler and introduced himself as "Mr. Belvedere."
Kudos to Lazy for mentioning Kung Fu Hustle! This movie is a scream and I almost passed out laughing so hard. Team America also ranks.
Great R-rated comedies since American Pie (which wasn't THAT great; it had Tara Reid and Chris Klein in the cast, after all), off the top of my head: Wet Hot American Summer (truly an underrated classic; Janeane Garofalo aside, check out the cast!), Team America: World Police (Sean Penn getting mauled by a panther warrants its inclusion), Wedding Crashers, 40-Year Old Virgin, Borat, Idiocracy, Clerks 2, Superbad (better w/repeated viewings), Reno 911: Miami (though the series is MUCH funnier), The Foot Fist Way, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Role Models, Tropic Thunder…notice the non-inclusion of anything w/Martin Lawrence or Robin Williams (who ruined Death to Smoochy, which could've been a classic w/a more restrained actor in Williams' role)…
Me too, Superbad was supergood…I normally tune out or stop watching when the language is so bad, but the writing, casting, and just the 'feel' of the movie was so real and so humorous, it was almost nostalgic.
I love it when Mr. Nolte asks the masses what they think are good movies. My Netflix account was almost empty, and just by reading this comment thread it's full again
Sex Drive was good, a real throwback to the 80s sex comedies.
Pineapple Express was not bad, but Kenny McBride was awesome in it and I heartily recommend you watch 'Eastbound and Down' on HBO or DVD.
Anchorman
Not strictly a comedy but 'Burn After Reading' was very funny.
Van Wilder
I'd also add Ghost World and Shawn of the Dead (surprised no one mentioned it already)…
I have to add Zack and Miri Make a Porno to this list. It is a sweet, funny, and vulgar romantic comedy. Justin Long steals the reunion scene as a gay porn star and it is the best acting that Seth Rogan has done. And while it is definately R rated comedy, there is really only one gross out scene and it is cleverly setup and executed and lasts just a few seconds. If you can handle R rated profanity laced movies, I highly recommend it. One of Kevin Smith's best films.
whoops – Danny McBride. He had a bit part in Tropic Thunder but he seems to be having a career year or two now.
Yeah, it's a good thing American Pie — a movie in which the main character uses an apple pie to masterbate — didn't resort to gross-out gags.
I agree with a previous poster that The 40-Year-Old Virgin is the best comedy in a long time. I'd say it's the best since Annie Hall.
American Pie?
40-year-old Virgin is fine. But better than, say, Lebowski or Rushmore or ….
I'd take Little Miss Sunshine over most of the comedies from this decade mentioned so far. Funny as hell, terrific ensemble cast producing a perfect family vibe, its sense of a family and a country on the edge of bankruptcy seems prophetic at the moment.
I loved Lil Miss Sunshine, too. I also thought Knocked Up, 40 yr old Virgin and Superbad were funny. I don't hate all things Apatow, but just consider him as a part of some of decent comedies of the last few yrs. I also loved Dodgeball. Sue me.
wedding crashers was fantastic, especially the first half
OK, now the video works. Must be just me?
Looks hilarious, but I'm guessing you chose 1999 because The Big Lebowski came out in 1998. I've watched that three or four times and am still discovering more subtle comedic genius in it.
It was funny but waaaayyyy too long.
My two cents!
That is THE first comedy trailer that I have seen in three years that has made me want to see the comedy. Aw, man, if the film has the same awesome pacing, great timing, and hilarity that its trailer, than I am SOOO going to see this movie! (Ah, man, pleeeeeese let this film be as good as its trailer.)
I love The Big Lebowski! I watched it twice last month. It gets funnier every time I see it.
You must be logged in to post a comment.