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Who doesn’t love a good buddy comedy? Though they may never win an Oscar or change the world, buddy comedies can makes us laugh and forget our problems for an hour and half.

“The Hangover,” the latest offering from master of the genre, Todd Phillips (Road Trip, Starsky & Hutch, Old School), does just that. The film focuses on groom-to-be Doug’s bachelor party in Las Vegas, where Murphy’s Law plays out to its fullest potential. Anything that can go wrong does, and then some.

As the movie opens, we are introduced to the main characters. Aside from Doug and his fiancée Tracy, we meet Doug’s friends, Phil and Stu, as well as Alan, Tracy’s socially awkward and borderline psychotic brother.

After arriving in Vegas, the four guys go up to the roof of their hotel and to make a toast. The movie then skips ahead to the next morning, where they wake up with their suite in shambles. After finding a chair on fire, a live chicken, a tiger in the bathroom, and a random baby in the closet, the guys realize that Doug is missing. To make matters worse, they have no recollection of what happened.

We then follow along as Phil, Stu, and Alan try to piece together the events of the night and try to find Doug. Little by little, they learn about all the misadventures they had. Though I won’t give away too much of what transpired, I will say that it involves an encounter with a friendly call girl, a naked, crowbar-wielding man in the trunk of a car, and a visit to the hospital. They also cross paths with Mike Tyson, who makes a surprisingly funny cameo.

Unlike other buddy comedies that focus mainly on toilet humor and cheap laughs (not that there’s anything wrong with that), “The Hangover” is very well written and has a strong plot. I also liked the storytelling of the movie: the events of the night are referenced to, but we don’t actually get to see them. Another cool thing is that we find out exactly what happened along with the guys. This way, everything is as surprising to the audience as it is to the characters.

Additionally, the casting was perfect: the actors seem genuine and play their roles wonderfully. By using less familiar actors, as opposed to, let’s say, the scenery-chewing Will Ferrell, the strong writing and directing can really show through.

Although there are plenty of movies about guys getting drunk and running amok, “The Hangover” has perfected this theme. In its 90-minute runtime, there is rarely a dull moment: the jokes and plot twists are nonstop, and the movie definitely leaves you wanting to see more. Fortunately, a sequel to “The Hangover” is reportedly already in the works.

Have you seen “The Hangover” or another good flick recently?  Share with a comment!