A Second Opinion: The Hangover (***1/2)

It's rare where you see a movie more than once, and it actually gets better on the second viewing. But that's exactly what happened last night when I saw this summer's sleeper smash The Hangover for a second time. What struck me the second-go-round were a couple of things: (1) it spreads its jokes around pretty evenly throughout the entire movie, and saves the biggest laughs for last (the pics over the end credits are a doozy); (2) when it's not making you laugh (which is infrequent), the mystery aspect of the story (what did happen to those guys last night, and just where the f**k is Doug?) keeps you entertained; (3) the casting is spot-on and refreshingly void of any superstars - just four very funny actors working at the top of their game; and (4) Zach Galifianakis is the man. His character alone is worth the price of admission.

Prior rating: ***

New rating: ***1/2

-John