The Hangover Part III

While it doesn't approach the heights of hilarity and freshness attained by the original "Hangover," Part III of the trilogy delivers an unexpected number of big laughs. Freed by the knowledge that this is the final installment, the cast settles in and finds the comic grace notes in quieter scenes and mumbled asides, eschewing the strained volubility that made the second film such a chore to sit through. Zach Galifianakis, the breakout star of the series, gets most of the best lines, and shares an extended, nearly wordless scene of seduction with Melissa McCarthy that alone is worth the cost of admission. Ken Jeong has made Mr. Chow one of the iconic comic characters of recent vintage with his game risk-taking, including a very funny scene here in which he makes like a dog while slithering along a floor to avoid motion-detecting laser beams. The plot is cleverer than it needs to be, and the movie wraps itself up in 100 minutes, including end credits worth staying for. The first "Hangover" rated 3.5 stars; the second only 1.5. This surprisingly decent wrap-up comes in right up the middle.