OVERVIEW: All bets are off when “The Hangover Part III” arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on October 8 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. “The Hangover Part III” follows the infamous Wolfpack as the gang sets out on a fearless mission to save their kidnapped friend in Sin City.

“The Hangover Part III” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and on 2-disc DVD Special Edition. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray, and the 2-disc DVD Special Edition features the theatrical version in standard definition. Both the Blu-ray Combo Pack and the 2-disc DVD Special Edition include UltraViolet which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the standard definition theatrical version of the film to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.

SYNOPSIS: It’s been two years. Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) are happily living uneventful lives at home. Tattoos have been lasered off, files purged. The last they heard from disaster-magnet Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong), he’d been tossed into a Thai prison and, with him out of the way, the guys have very nearly recovered from their nights prowling the seamy side of Las Vegas in a roofie’d haze, and being kidnapped, shot at, and chased by drug-dealing mobsters in Bangkok.

The only member of the Wolfpack who’s not content is Alan (Zach Galifianakis). Still lacking a sense of purpose, the group’s black sheep has ditched his meds and given in to his natural impulses in a big way – which, for Alan, means no boundaries, no filters and no judgment – until a personal crisis forces him to finally seek the help he needs.

And who better than his three best friends to make sure he takes the first step. This time, there’s no bachelor party. No wedding. What could possibly go wrong? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

FILM REVIEW: At the risk of sounding like I’m apologizing for The Hangover – part III, I have to say that trilogies are rarely able to top their predecessors and this latest release is certainly no exception. Part one of The Hangover, really deserved its kudos, and was quite refreshing and crazy-cool. However, part two was some kinda’ weird effort to have audiences relive that the comedic prowess of that which started it all. It (part 2) seemed to be a modified version of the same template from part one, where they just simply changed the locale. What a waste, that was! Now we are facing a part three, where it seems as though they, writer/director Todd Phillips et al and the producers, wasted no time in bringing us a similar formula/template and more of the same with the exception of there being no drugs, no blackouts, and no signs of a hangover anywhere. This is with a mixture of the same locale, from the previous installments and a different locale, in a lame attempt to compliment it. Quite disappointing, I might add. I guess the powers to be, simply could not think outside of the box, following the success of their first release. 

Needless to say, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, and Zach Galifianakis regrouped for one more adventure as the “Wolfpack,” where the “guys'-night-out-gone-wrong” somehow missed the mark once again. The plot seems very convoluted and ridiculous, but this isn’t the real problem. The problem is that by playing a crazy premise completely chronologically, and worse hastily, this film’s shenanigans feel illogical and subjective in a way that the previous installments avoided. It is like watching good actors play bad parts where you want to appreciate their efforts, but just can’t quite get there because of the stupidity of the storyline. And to make matters worse, the sneak-peak at the end of the rolling credits is a taunting reminder of the movie we might have had, instead of this exaggerated, kinda’ funny calamity of an effort.

On the other hand, if you're looking for the drunken decadence exhibited in the first two films, you will find much of it here. And while you want this latest effort to be good because it is an opportunity to improve on the storyline of the first two films, this third installment feels darker and bloodier, with less comedic antics. In reality, technically there isn't much of a "hangover," at this point in the series, to rally behind. Therefore, the big question becomes: “What was the point?”

Overall, part three isn’t a total disaster and is not a perfect movie, by any means. There is the expected slapstick humor throughout the flick and some pretty funny moments to embrace. Actually, I would be fibbing if I said that I didn’t laugh out loud occasionally, however, I felt that the funny needed to be complimented with a good story and not so many cheesy attempts at humorous scenes. Three stars out of five is my attempt to be generous to this franchise. I believe this movie is a wait for the DVD, but should be enjoyed with company. It’s just that type of comedy that requires lots of people chuckling, to really get your chuckle on.

BLU-RAY: The film is presented in widescreen in a 2.40:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English, French  and Spanish subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (2.40:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital,  and English Audio Description

Subtitles - English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Replacing Zach: The Secret Auditions

Outtakes

The Wolfpack’s Wildest Stunts

Zach Galifianakis in His Own Words

Pushing the Limits

Action Mash-Up

Inside Focus: The Real Chow

Extended Scenes

Ultraviolet Copy

DVD Copy