Todd Phillips

Director Todd Phillips was reluctant to talk sequels a few weeks ago — before The Hangover took American box offices by storm — but now he's all about a Hangover 2. The sequel may begin shooting as early as Spring 2010 and will definitely feature the same foursome that currently has audiences rolling in the aisles. Phillips noted, "I wouldn’t do it unless all four guys were back. I love The Hangover so much and I think we could crush it with the sequel. I’ve never had more fun making a movie, ever. Not that Old School wasn’t fun, but these guys were so hungry and ready to kick ass everyday. We just all gelled so well on this film."

There aren't many movies for which I'd truly like to see a sequel, but The Hangover is definitely one of the few. I love the dynamics between these guys, I love the writing, I like Phillips' direction and, of course, I love Zach Galifianakis. They cover a lot of crazy ground in that movie, so I'll be curious to see what else they come up with for a sequel. What do you think should happen in a Hangover sequel? Should we see more of Justin Bartha's character? Or is the Stu-Phil-Alan trio too funny on its own?

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

One of the most satisfying things about The Hangover is that what you've seen in the trailer is what you get. Not in the sense that there are no surprises (oh, holy cow there are surprises) but in the sense that if the movie looks good to you when you watch the trailer, it's highly likely you'll love the movie (and the opposite is true as well). I found it to be funny and crude and perfectly cast. There are a few clunky scenes and the script isn't exactly flawless, but the characters are so great and so hilarious together, you can't help but be pulled into this totally messed up adventure.

Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to get married and his two pals, Stu (Ed Helms) and Phil (Bradley Cooper) are bringing him to Las Vegas for one last crazy hurrah. Tagging along is Doug's strange soon-to-be brother-in-law, Alan (Zach Galifianakis). The four men arrive in Vegas, toast to Doug's upcoming nuptials and proceed to have a wild night that nobody can remember in the morning. The wicked hangovers are the least of their problems that morning, however: Stu, Phil and Alan have lost Doug. They can't find him anywhere, but they do find a variety of other things, like a lion in the bathroom and a baby in a closet of their hotel room. Bit by bit, the trio pieces together the events of the night and try desperately to find their friend. And we audience members know nothing more than they do, so we make all these discoveries right along with the bumbling, accident-prone gang. There's so much to like about this comedy, so read more

I really liked The Hangover, and the main reason for this is Zach Galifianakis, who consistently steals the show with his deadpan performance as Alan, a bizarre and sometimes slightly disturbing young man who joins his soon-to-be brother-in-law and two other guys in Las Vegas for a bachelor party weekend. What I know of Galifianakis is mostly based on his performance in The Hangover and his online videos (I especially like his music videos and his interview series Between Two Ferns). I've never seen him live, though I hear he's even more hilarious to watch in person.

In a recent interview, Hangover director Todd Phillips summed up for me precisely what makes Galifianakis's kind of comedy so effective — and so endearing:

And I think with Zach, I don't think anyone has it expect maybe Will Ferrell doing comedies right now, is the sweetest, most innocent eyes and face, so he can get away with so much. So much of the comedians we all love, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, there's a darkness to them, which is what we love about them, but you look at Will's eyes and there is no darkness in Will, and there is no darkness in Zach. It's just sweetness, so they get to get away with sh*t that no one else can get away with.

It's also just refreshing to see a new face amidst the same old comedic group we've been watching for years, and apparently Phillips had this in mind when he cast Zach: "I really wanted this movie to feel as real as possible and I really feel like we've been seeing the same ten faces in a lot of movies, not just comedies but movies, and I just thought let's shake it up."

Well, he shook it up! And once The Hangover comes out, I'm sure Galifianakis will score legions of new fans which will, awesomely, lead to that sweet and "innocent" face appearing in more hilarious projects. I can't wait.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.