At the Movies: capsule reviews of ‘The Hangover’ and other films this week

Capsule reviews: ‘The Hangover’ and other films

Capsule reviews of films opening this week:

“The Hangover” — You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a documentary. After all, who hasn’t woken up in a trashed Las Vegas hotel suite with a missing tooth, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet and little or no memory of what happened the night before? Director Todd Phillips and screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore take this idea to bold new heights — or depths, depending on your perspective — with a comedy that stays weird and wild for the first two-thirds, only to disappoint in the final act. Structurally, though, it’s based on a clever concept: Three guys take their buddy Doug (Justin Bartha) to Vegas for a bachelor party right before his wedding. When they wake up the morning after their debauched bacchanal, they realize the groom is missing — and that’s only the beginning of their trouble. As they nurse their pounding heads and retrace their steps, they stumble down an increasingly absurd, and surprisingly dark, path. And because it all turns out to be so unpredictable, we feel like we’re solving a mystery right along with them. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis make a believably motley trio, with Galifianakis in particular stealing many moments with a performance that’s a fascinating balance of creepy and endearing. But Ken Jeong, veteran of many a Judd Apatow production, is stuck in a role that’s a distasteful (and unfunny) stereotype of both Asians and gays. R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity and some drug material. 99 min. Two and a half stars out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

“Land of the Lost” — There is exactly one funny bit here, and it stands out because it comes at the very beginning and the very end. Will Ferrell, as arrogant scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, appears on the “Today” show to discuss his time-travel theories and pimp out his latest book. Matt Lauer, thinking he’s a crackpot, interviews him with unmistakabale disdain and chafes at Marshall’s attempts to hijack the segment. In between, though, is an awkward combination of kitschy comedy (which is never amusing) and earnest action (which is never thrilling). And it’s not as if the source material was worthy of a big-budget summer blockbuster starring an A-lister. The Sid & Marty Krofft TV series “Land of the Lost,” about a family that gets sucked into a prehistoric age when an earthquake hits while they’re rafting, aired for just three seasons in the mid-1970s. It was laughable with its stiff dialogue and low-tech effects. At least the series knew what it was, though. Working from a script by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas (though Ferrell and co-star Danny McBride clearly did a healthy amount of ad-libbing), director Brad Silberling can’t seem to decide whether he’s making fun of the show’s cheesy visuals or seizing on its sense of rough-hewn adventure. And so in hopes of pleasing the lowest common denominator nonetheless, they offer an overload of jokes about dinosaur poop and urine. Danny McBride and Anna Friel co-star as Will and Holly, with “Saturday Night Live” writer Jorma Taccone as the mischievous primate Chaka. PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language including a drug reference. 93 min. One star out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

“My Life in Ruins” — As we learn here, the Greek word for mojo — or zest for life — is “kefi.” Nia Vardalos’ character has lost hers and needs to get it back. Wonder what the Greek words are for corny, hackneyed and flat. Because those are all applicable, too. Vardalos tries to recreate the unexpected magic of the 2002 sleeper smash “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” which made her a star and earned her an Oscar nomination for her screenplay. Although she didn’t write the script this time — that’s the dubious work of former “Simpsons” writer and producer Mike Reiss — “My Life in Ruins” strives for the same sort of affectionately teasing ethnic humor. Instead, it feels like an uncomfortable parade of Borscht Belt gags and lame stereotypes. Vardalos stars as Georgia, a Greek-American tour guide living an uptight life in Athens. She always gets stuck with the obnoxious tourists while her rival gets the beautiful women and polite Canadians. These people are spectacularly unfunny, especially under the overly jaunty direction of Donald Petrie (”Miss Congeniality,” ”Just My Luck”). With her love of history, Georgia wants to share the glory of the country’s ancient ruins and tell their stories; all her tacky travelers want to do is shop and eat ice cream. But this being a contrived romantic comedy, Georgia naturally finds love where she least expects it: right on her tour bus, with the long-haired, unkempt driver, who’s been saddled with the unfortunate name of Poupi Kakas (Alexis Georgoulis). Go ahead, say it out loud to yourself. Then try to contain the sidesplitting laughter. PG-13 for sexual content. 96 min. Zero stars out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic