The Hangover Part III Blu-ray Review

Warner Bros. delivers an exemplary 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation with "The Hangover Part III," showcasing the studio's commitment to high-definition excellence. The transfer shines with a slightly stylized yet vivid color palette, boasting robust primaries, precise saturation levels, and deep, albeit occasionally uneven, black levels. The daytime scenes reveal a hot, desert sun brilliance, while nighttime Las Vegas sequences dazzle with crispness and vibrancy. This visual feast maintains its allure with an impeccably sharp definition, ensuring textures are finely resolved and edges are well-defined without noticeable ringing.

The overall contrast is intentionally heightened, imbuing the film with a distinctive look that complements its comedic chaos. Despite leaning towards a warm tonality—characterized by mildly oversaturated colors—the video transfer avoids common pitfalls such as aliasing, artifacting, and banding, presenting a clean and stable image throughout. Detail is a standout aspect, enabling viewers to appreciate even the minutest elements within the chaotic and vibrant settings of the film. The movie's 2:40:1 aspect ratio is preserved in this MPEG-4/AVC encode, providing a cinematic experience that remains true to the director's vision.

Warner's effort on this Blu-ray ensures that "The Hangover Part III" is not only a continuation of the franchise's visual style but also a benchmark for high-definition presentations. While the film's storyline might divide fans, the video quality here is undeniably impressive, serving as reference material for enthusiasts seeking to showcase their home theater setups. This sharp, detailed, and color-rich transfer underscores Warner Bros.' dedication to delivering top-tier home entertainment experiences.

The Hangover Part III" surprises with its audio presentation, defying the expectations one might have for a comedy by delivering an audio experience akin to a high-octane action film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is aggressively action-packed, ensuring that dialogue remains clear and grounded, seamlessly blending with the chaos of the movie's more intense moments. The mix prioritizes dialogue impeccability, ensuring that whispers and screams alike are intelligible amidst the backdrop of booming LFE outputs and chaotic soundscapes. The rear speakers and subwoofer engage dynamically, contributing to an immersive experience with accurate directionality and smooth cross-channel pans, although Christophe Beck's score tends to blend into the background, its presence overshadowed by the overall aggressive mix.

The soundtrack also complements the film's diverse nature, incorporating a mix of hit songs that span different eras, all presented in reference-quality lossless audio. This rich tapestry of sound is balanced carefully with the dialogue, maintaining clarity even through the most action-packed sequences. The use of directionality brings both major sequences and subtle moments to life, creating a balanced and engaging auditory experience. Subtle details are not lost; instead, they are enhanced by the generous use of rear speakers and the subwoofer, adding depth to the film’s soundscape.

Moreover, the audio presentation includes multiple language options, offering 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in English, along with 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks in French and Spanish. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish, making the film accessible to a wider audience. This thoughtful inclusion ensures that viewers have the flexibility to enjoy the movie in several languages without compromising the quality of the audio experience, cementing "The Hangover Part III" as a technically impressive entry in the series.

The extra presentation on the Blu-ray of "The Hangover Part III" offers a glimpse behind the curtains of this comedic trilogy's final installment, albeit in a manner that may leave enthusiasts craving more. Including an assortment of featurettes, extended scenes, and outtakes, the collective runtime of over half an hour presents a somewhat superficial dive into the filmmaking process. Highlights include candid interviews, notably "Zach Galifianakis in His Own Words" reflecting on his character Alan, and "The Wolfpack's Wildest Stunts," revealing the cast's trepidations and thrills in executing stunts. However, the extras like "Action Mash-Up" and "Inside Focus: The Real Chow" deliver less substance and more fluff. Though entertaining, these additions serve more as a light snack rather than the full meal die-hard fans might hope for, especially given the series' legacy. Nonetheless, they still provide some enjoyable insights and laughs, even if they don't delve deep into the trilogy's conclusion or filmmaking intricacies.

Extras included in this disc:

• Replacing Zach: The Secret Auditions: Director Todd Phillips explores the humorous possibility of replacing Zach Galifianakis with other actors.
• The Wolfpack's Wildest Stunts: A behind-the-scenes look at the stunts in the film, featuring cast insights.
• Zach Galifianakis in His Own Words: Galifianakis shares his thoughts on portraying Alan for the last time.
• Pushing the Limits: The challenges and rewards of working with animals and children during production.
• Inside Focus: The Real Chow: A humorous take on Ken Joeng's character Leslie Chow blurring with reality.
• Action Mash-Up: A brief montage of action sequences from the movie.
• Extended Scenes: A few scenes extended from their original versions in the film.
• Outtakes: A collection of bloopers and improvised moments from the cast.

In "The Hangover Part III," director Todd Phillips closes the trilogy with a narrative that veers dramatically from the formula that defined its predecessors, opting for a blend of action and subdued comedy over the raucous humor that propelled the series to its billion-dollar status. As the Wolfpack, consisting of Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), and the less-seen Doug (Justin Bartha), reunites for a rescue mission rather than a bachelor party-gone-wrong, they find themselves entangled with the eccentric Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) in a plot involving stolen gold bars and revenge. Notably, the film shifts its focus towards Alan and Chow, whose peculiar friendship and antics provide intermittent laughter in what is fundamentally a caper flick lined with dark comedy.

The decision to abandon the series' signature debauchery and “what happened last night?” mystery format feels both refreshing and disorienting. While it dodges the redundancy criticized in "Part II," it also strips away the wild unpredictability that fans came to love, leaving a well-paced but oddly toned final chapter that oscillates between action and comedy without fully committing to either. The film's attempt at wrapping up personal arcs—especially Alan's—adds depth but does so at the expense of the expected humor and shock value, delivering a sequel that is neatly executed yet misaligned with its own legacy.

The technical prowess of the film, however, remains unblemished. From its crisp cinematography to adept pacing, "The Hangover Part III" benefits from Phillips’ commendable direction and an evident push to give the trilogy a polished sendoff, highlighting the landscapes of Tijuana and Las Vegas alongside well-crafted action sequences. Despite its tonal inconsistency and narrative choices that might polarize long-time fans, the film's technical achievements and sporadic comedic hits stand out. Alan and Chow's dynamic, though unable to carry the film's comedic weight alone, underscores a series that ventured into unpredictability from the outset, closing on a note that is simultaneously fitting and discordant.

The Hangover Part III" Blu-ray presentation finds itself in a precarious position, attempting to navigate the fine line between redemption and deviation within the franchise. While it emerges from the shadow of its predecessor with a semblance of improvement, it doesn't quite reclaim the glory of the original. The film, ambitiously directed by Todd Phillips, showcases the dedicated performances of its cast but struggles to consistently deliver the comedic impact expected from the series. As a departure from the formulaic approach of its foregone installment, "Part III" opts for a narrative divergence that while commendable for its intent to innovate, results in a final product that feels disjointed from the essence of "The Hangover." Viewers might appreciate the technical finesse demonstrated in Warner’s Blu-ray release, which excels in audiovisual quality, providing a satisfactory home entertainment experience.

From a technical standpoint, the Blu-ray release shines, delivering exceptional audio and video quality that serves to enhance the viewing experience. This level of AV presentation may very well be a deciding factor for enthusiasts of the franchise or those with a vested interest in the fidelity of their Blu-ray collection. However, potential buyers should temper their expectations regarding the film's content and comedic delivery, as the narrative choices and humor may not resonate with all fans of the original film.

In conclusion, "The Hangover Part III" on Blu-ray stands as a testament to technical achievement in home media presentation, overshadowing the film's narrative and comedic missteps. It represents a mixed bag; while it manages to step up from its immediate predecessor, it falls short of recapturing the magic that made the original a cultural phenomenon. Viewers devoted to the Wolfpack may find value in this installment for its sheer sake of completion, while others might consider it a curious anomaly within the trilogy. Ultimately, whether this release justifies its addition to one's collection depends on individual affinity for the series and appreciation for high-quality Blu-ray presentations.