Dude, Where's My Hangover?

I saw “Hangover” a few weeks ago and realized the plot had been lifted from an earlier, Turner Classic Movies gem, “Dude, Where’s My Car?” featuring the Oscar-chasing duo, Ashton Kutcher (best known as “Kelso” from “That 70s Show”) and Seann William Scott (best known as “Stifler” from the “American Pie” movies).  Here’s how they break down – and sorry if I spoil any cliffhangers here, people.

 Dude, Where’s My Car?  Two loser stoners wake up, completely oblivious as to what happened the day before.  Their “twin” girlfriends (one of them is Jennifer Garner, these must be fraternal twins) leave them a voicemail message accusing them of being “sucky boyfriends” for forgetting their anniversaries and trashing their house, and threaten to withhold “special treats”, which the pair assume must mean consummating their heretofore sexless relationships.  But they did get the girls gifts, they’re just in the car….hold on, (wait for it…!) “Dude, where’s my car?”  Now they have to unravel the mystery of the previous day.  

            This turns out to include: a pot-smoking dog; a pair of tattoos on their backs (“DUDE” and “SWEET”); an improbably hot chick who claims to have enjoyed both of them the night before (Cristy Swanson) but who has a jock boyfriend (looks like Jerry O’Connell’s brother)(with similarly stoner-hating jock companions); a “gender-challenged male” stripper who accuses them of ripping him/her (?) off to the tune of $200,000; super hot female aliens looking for a “Continuum Transfunctioner”, whatever that is, and promise to provide “erotic pleasure” if they manage to retrieve it; a group of Z-named nerds wrapped in bubble-wrap space suits looking for the same thing; and a pair of Swedish accented Euro types also looking for the same device, whose “mystery is only surpassed by its power”.  The mysteries will be solved, of course, in an extremely stupid but only modestly entertaining fashion.  Indeed, the movie revels in its own stupidity.  Check in your brain before watching.

 The Hangover.  Four guys go to Las Vegas for their pal’s bachelor party and wake up completely oblivious as the entire last night.  Oh, here it’s FOUR instead of TWO: Phil (Matthew Cooper), a school teacher who is the most well-adjusted; Doug (Justin Bartha, “Riley” from the “National Treasure” films, also Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’ “The Baywatch”-obsessed hostage in “Gigli”, which I’m sure all of you have seen – he’s actually dating Ashley Olson), the groom; Stu (Ed Helms, probably best known as “Andy” on “The Office”), a dentist who is mercilessly henpecked, controlled, and manipulated by his extremely unlikable fiancé; and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) the bearded brother of the bride, clearly the most insane and off-balance of the group. 

            Not only do they not know what happened – why is there a tiger in our bathroom? – Doug is missing.  Oops, can’t have a wedding without the groom, can we?  Sure enough, they have to retrace their steps and determine exactly what happened the night before.  We’ll meet Mike Tyson (whose tiger it was), visit the E.R., visit the impound lot where their Mercedes is, pull a Rain Man at the casino to come up with $80,000 to rescue “Doug”, and find out who Stu actually married in the wedding chapel and why he’s missing a tooth. 

            Despite having essentially the same plot as “Dude”, “Hangover” is considerably more intelligent, yet still deliciously twisted.  Back in 1999, I actually went to Las Vegas for a bachelor party.  We did NOT lose Phil, the groom.  I remember everything, and no tigers, Chinese gangsters, roofies or “e”, or other shenanigans occurred.  Keeping my mouth shut about it is unnecessary, as what little that did “happen in Vegas” can very well stay there.  In fact, I may as well tie this in to a third movie: “What Happens in Vega$”, featuring Cameron Diaz and…Ashton Kutcher.

            Each of them is coming off a failed relationship (of some sort), and they end up married in Vegas (doesn’t everyone?)  They also win the slot machine jackpot (doesn’t everyone?) but can’t agree to split it back home – conveniently they are BOTH from NYC – so divorce judge Dennis Miller sentences them to six months of marriage.  As you can imagine – “love at first hate, part XVII” – they hate each other at first but eventually fall in love (awwww).  Yet again, sorry to spoil the surprise for any of you; the full extent of the plot and substance of this film can be summarized as I just did.   

            I just saved you THREE entries on your Netflix queue.