– Jocelyn Noveck, AP National Writer

“The Hangover Part III” – “Daring” isn’t a word you would use very much to describe 2011’s “The Hangover Part II,” the disappointingly lazy, beat-for-beat rehash of the wild and wildly successful original “Hangover” from 2009. And yet, here we are with part three, which runs a different sort of risk by going to darker and more dangerous places than its predecessors. It dares to alienate the very audience that made “The Hangover” the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time because, well, it isn’t exactly a comedy. Sure, there are some outrageous lines and sight gags, mostly courtesy of Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong, who function as central figures this time when, previously, a little bit of them went a long way. But director and co-writer Todd Phillips signals early and often that he’s much more interested than ever before in exploring matters of real consequence rather than simply mining them for brash laughs. This time, Galifianakis’ insufferable, inappropriate man-child Alan has gone off his meds and is out of control. His family and friends – including fellow “Wolfpack” members Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) – stage an intervention and offer to drive him to a treatment center in Arizona. Clearly, this won’t be an innocuous trek through the desert. Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity. 100 minutes. Three stars out of four.

– Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic