Relieving The Hangover all over again

By the time the raunchy but highly imaginative and totally unpredictable comedy The Hangover ended, many questions were answered regarding a baby, a tiger and a missing tooth. But how about the chicken? Where did the bird come from, and what was it intended for?

You may certainly want to look for the answers in DVD and Blu-ray versions of the film that have been released just now.

The film, which is a nominee for the best Golden Globe picture (comedy or musical) became a surprise hit of the year. Directed by Todd Phillipps and made for less than $35 million, its worldwide $450 million gross is truly astounding, given that most American comedies don't do well in foreign markets. Considering  its budget, it is surely one of the most profitable films in recent years.

What made the film, despite its over-the-board humour and sex jokes, endearing to many people is that it is also a story of friends who do crazy things but are not villains. And they do care for each other.

Critics too embraced the film warmly. 'Todd Phillips and the screenwriting team of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore have created a heart-of-darkness comedy running naked and wild through the streets,' wrote Betsy Sharkey in Los Angeles Times.' Hysterically and embarrassingly black, The Hangover nevertheless is filled with moments as softhearted as they are crude, as forgiving as unforgivable.'

The taglines for the film could be: They had planned a Las Vegas bachelor party that they would never forget. Now they really need to remember what exactly went down!

Four friends including the one who is to be married are in Las Vegas for one big bout of fun. But they're in for a big surprise: their drinks were laced with date-rape drugs, so when they awake in their hotel room 12 hours later, not only do they have an awful hangover but they can't remember what they did all night long. And they're missing the groom-to-be.

As the guys try to find out what had transpired, we face one outrageous caper after another. Just as we think there cannot be another tastelessly funny episode, filmmaker Phillips has another outrageous item ready.

The DVD and Blu-ray versions, with the extras, are even more fun than the theatrical version, but remember, you may find it a bit embarrassing to watch with teenagers or older audiences (unless the older viewers are fans of Mel Brooks films such as Blazing Saddles) Whether you buy the theatrical version or the un-rated one, it does not matter. For the few extra scenes in the latter do not make much difference.

Extras:  One of the movie's highlights comes at the very end when we get to see the hilarious pictures the gang had inadvertently taken. The DVD offers a segment called More Pictures from the Missing Camera. The gag reel shows plenty of behind the camera action. And then there is a six-minute long segment featuring the scary gangster Mr Chow (Ken Jeong). In the extra footage, the shining star is the obese couch potato played mad hilarity by Zach Galifianakis.