The Hangover Part III (2013)

Movie · 2013 · Comedy · 1h 40m · R · English

Curator score: 0.7/10 (853.2K ratings)

It all ends.

Overview

This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

Ratings

Director

Todd Phillips

Production

Green Hat Films, Legendary Pictures, BenderSpink

Cast

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, John Goodman, Melissa McCarthy, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Sasha Barrese, Jamie Chung, Sondra Currie, Gillian Vigman, Oliver Cooper, Mike Vallely, Grant Holmquist, Oscar Torre, Jonny Coyne, Silvia Curiel

Where to watch

TNT, TBS, tru TV

Curator Review

Verdict

A messy but intermittently funny capper that leans harder into crime-movie structure than the first two films. The jokes are more uneven, but the cast still has enough chemistry, and a few set pieces and supporting turns keep it from feeling disposable.

Best for

  • Viewers who liked the Wolfpack dynamic more than the mystery plot
  • Fans of broad, raunchy studio comedies with a darker edge
  • People who enjoy sequel-as-cleanup stories that try to wrap up a franchise
  • Audiences who don’t mind tonal whiplash between absurdity and violence

Skip if

  • You want the nonstop surprise-machine energy of the first film
  • You dislike meaner, more cynical comedy
  • You prefer tightly plotted comedies with consistent joke density
  • You’re not interested in franchise finales or callback-heavy humor

Overview

The Hangover Part III is less a hangover comedy than a crime caper wearing one’s clothes. It trades the first film’s mystery-box structure for a more linear, road-movie chase, which gives it a little more shape even when the laughs are less frequent and more erratic. The result is a sequel that feels self-conscious about being the last stop for these characters.

Worth noting

What still works is the ensemble rhythm. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis remain an effective comic triangle, and the movie knows how to use their mismatched energies in bursts. The supporting villains and cameos add some bite, though the film’s darker turns can make the comedy feel oddly mean-spirited.

Bottom line

If you’re here for peak Hangover chaos, this is a step down. If you’re open to a franchise finale that tries to reset the formula and occasionally lands on something stranger and more committed, it has enough personality to justify a watch.

Top Letterboxd reviews

rach (3.5★) · 3608 likes

i don’t even care i want a fourth film

elliebean (1.5★) · 1982 likes

when alan said “you’re my man” to bradley cooper i felt that

liv (3.5★) · 1670 likes

why does that one mf always go missing

matt lynch (0.5★) · 1608 likes

meets most of the technical qualifications of a movie.

evilbjork (2★) · 1498 likes

Not even a single hangover.

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Topics

raunchy comedy, road movie, crime caper, ensemble cast, dark humor, franchise sequel, buddy comedy, chaotic tone, 2010s studio comedy

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