'The Hangover Part III' shows the series has worn out its welcome

'The Hangover Part III' is a collection of gross-outs that are missing the laughs.

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Warner Bros. Pictures/AP
'The Hangover Part III' stars Justin Bartha (l.), Zach Galifianakis (second from l.), Ed Helms (second from r.), and Bradley Cooper (r.).

The first “Hangover” movie was a monster hit that I found mildly amusing. The sequel was a scummy, unfunny mess. Now we have “The Hangover Part III,” which is being billed as the last in the series. Let’s hope so.

The wolf pack is on the prowl again, ending up in Vegas where it all began, sort of. Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms are essentially straight men to Zach Galifianakis’s Alan and Ken Jeong’s Mr. Chow, both of whom take turns trying to gross everybody out. But gross-outs devoid of laughs?

The tonal problem of the second installment, which often resembled a drug-infested pulp thriller instead of a comedy, is also problematic here. Grade: C- (Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity.)

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