The Inevitable Downfall Of The Hangover Franchise

When The Hangover first hit theaters, it took the world by storm. Coming out at the peak of the raunchy comedy era, The Hangover was beloved by everyone. It was so successful that the studio immediately green lit sequels. Though that's exactly where The Hangover series started it's dramatic downfall.

#thehangover #comedy #nerdstalgic

Written by Ash Mitrano
Edited by Brian Nappi

[therealCrazyJake]

I love how Bradley Cooper addressed the fans who kept telling him “dude, those movies are my life” with “dude, you REALLY need to stop drinking!”

[cww]

I saw the Hangover 2 in theaters when I was 17 on a double date. The theater was packed and it was like a giant party in there. Never had a theater experience like that.

[halfbakedgamer]

It's easy to forget how big the first Hangover was. Probably the most quoted comedy since Anchorman, it felt like EVERYBODY had seen it.

[JayFingers]

What happened? They tried to force a franchise out of a film that was never designed to be one. We need to get back to one-and-done films.

[MetalSandman]

The downfall was inevitable because the whole premise was a one-time event. It was a crazy, once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing so zany that if you try to do it again, it is just ridiculous and loses any sense of novelty. And that novelty is why it works the one time. It is funny and entertaining and enthralling because it is so over the top. If you do it multiple times, it just because part of the normal universe.

[corbinortiz]

I was 18, and I worked at a movie theater so i got to hear about the hangover everyday. It was amazing, I’ve seen the end credits photos so many times and I will always love the movie.

[arifinrohan]

I personally loved the closure that Alan got in the 3rd film. He was a genuinely good guy at heart and deserved the happy ending

[willversa]

I broke my leg in 2017 while I was lying in bed hopeless I found the hangover and binge watched all of them I will always love these guys and what they made they helped me while I was in a dark place

[Anavaeebaee]

I don’t care what anyone says, I love part 3. I could watch the whole trilogy with no problem

[JayFingers]

The third one is, oddly, my favorite simply because it deviates from the formula. And it was always intended to be the final film in the series. The marketing for it outright said so.

[nickromo]

Part 2 is hands down one of the funniest films I've ever seen, the fact that chow dies and comes back kills me everytime

[izzym]

I always really liked the 2nd one actually. It was obviously essentially the same formula as the first but the whole thing felt elevated with a bigger budget and bigger consequences. The drug monkey storyline was hilarious & the pictures that they look back on at the end of the movie get me every time 🤣

[Rockleedrunkpunch]

Proof not everything needs a sequel just because it was popular

[SwabianClancy]

The first Hangover film is still one of the best cinema experiences I've had. For some reason I had absolutely no idea about the film beforehand and just went to the cinema with two friends. Rarely have I laughed so much at a film and the atmosphere in the cinema. The other two films didn't even come close.

[livesyou]

I think the third part is underrated. Jokes flying left and right.

[Imps]

honestly, Ken Jeong was the breakout star of The Hangover

[jonny]

Personally, I love part 3. Duplicating the first one is where I feel they went wrong

[jeffreytuley]

Wait so am I the only one that likes all 3 movies?

[nhkvlyo]

I never got the impression that the franchise came to an 'Inevitable Downfall'. I thought that the writing seemed consistent across the board having each of the members of the wolf pack get married except for Phil because he was already married. I think that the series had an expiration date having 4 lead characters, but I wouldn't say they 'ran out of ideas'. We all knew exactly what we were in for when we saw the sequels right? At best it would be a rehash of the same old comedy set to the marriages of the remaining members of the wolf pack. I don't think there would have been a part 4 realistically speaking. I think they did well with what they had under the parameters they set with the first movie.

[DominickSpano]

I don't know if even the original totally holds up today, but it is one of those films where you had to be there when it was released to really connect with it. It seemed to come out at a time when people really wanted just a fun comedy movie and to forget reality for 1.5 hours. Plus the 3 or 4 leads somehow went together perfectly. Look, it was a solid comedy in Las Vegas and it was a good one for sure. As Home Alone 2 was copy of the original but it was fun and funny, in the case of Hangover sequel, not so much lol.