As the Hangover franchise has become an international phenomenon, the budgets for the films have gotten much bigger. The original installment was created on a $35 million budget and crushed domestically, pulling in well over $277 million dollars in the States. The latest movie, on the other hand, was made on a $103 million dollar budget and only brought in $112 million domestically. The Hangover III may have done decently worldwide, but Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is likely looking to make up some money via the film’s Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download release, which will street on October 8.
Despite The Hangover III being a raunch comedy, the end of the three films was a little bit bittersweet for leads Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Bradley Cooper, who each became much bigger names in Hollywood thanks to the franchise. The third film tells a story about a gold heist that ends up getting the Wolfpack caught up with criminals and on the trail to find Chow (Ken Jeong) in Mexico and retrieve the lost currency. Alan (Galifianakis) is also dealing with his own personal problems, thus adding a little bit of seriousness to an otherwise joke-oriented film.
The setup of The Hangover films have always left plenty of room for sequels, but as less and less money is made for each film, the list of reasons to continue making new movies gets shorter. I’m not sure the sequels ever were able to capture the sheer fun and exhilaration of the first film, even as the stories grew more expansive. Finishing off the films now rather than down the road allows all of the actors involved and director Todd Phillips to quit while they are ahead. This is the end, but that’s a good thing.
If you are interested in owning a hard copy of the Wolfpack’s last adventure, you’ll be able to choose between a Blu-ray combo pack and a 2-disc DVD special edition. Don’t let the fact that Warner Bros. is calling it a special edition fool you. Both Blu-ray and DVD copies will come with the very same bonus features that include things like “action mash-ups” and “secret editions.” Since the flick is a comedy, the really good stuff should be the outtakes and the extended scenes, but you’ll have to decide for yourself. You can pre-order The Hangover III over at Amazon or check out the extras, below.
The Hangover III Blu-ray and DVD Extras
- “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
