How do you review this movie? Is it particularly good? Maybe not. But it's not so bad, either. But you should know what you are getting into. You want to see a brilliant comedy based on a clever scenario - check out Hangover instead. But if it is your wife's birthday and she wants to see a cute little romantic comedy, you could do a whole lot worse.
Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are going through a rough patch in their marriage and go to a Couples Retreat vacation resort called Eden. They cajole their friends to go on the trip with them, promising wild fun, water skis and mai tais. Instead, the couples are forced into a couples therapy session by the resort founder and guru Marcel (Jean Reno). Each of the couples are in a different stage of their relationship. Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman) are married with kids, but seem to have separate agendas with their busy schedules; Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) live under a thinly veiled web of hatred as they wait patiently for their daughter to go to college so they can get a divorce; and Shane (Faizon Love) is still trying to recover from his wife leaving him and is shacking up with a 20-year old party animal named Trudi (Kali Hawk).
The movie is complete formula - it follows a well worn path through the same arguments, the same temptations, and quite often the same jokes as a thousand other movies. But the movie moves along smoothly because the cast, a seasoned package of comedy pros, gets the job done. Kudos to Vince Vaughn, who is actually playing a slightly different character than usual. Oh, he's still the same snide and at times self-absorbed Vince, but there is a maturity and even-handedness that is a tad more three-dimensional and nice to see.
I do have to say that though Jean Reno is amusing in this movie, I think that he now officially has to hand in his Badass Card. The awesome tough guy from Leon, La Femme Nikita, and Ronin has now made too many Pink Panthers and the site of him in a little speedo is one step too far. Goodbye, Jean Reno the Badass. We'll miss you.
I also have to mention that this movie was the first film directed by Peter Billingsley - better known as Ralphie from Christmas Story. I always wondered where he went!!! And for a first movie, it isn't that bad.
Anyway, to sum-up, Couples Retreat is okay. It could have been better, but it pushes through on a good cast and good will. I would probably say either watch it on a date or maybe rent it.
Sometimes these predictable comedies surprise you with a little bit of good writing or other oomph .... this was not one of those times. I was rather underwhelmed by this one.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I need to revisit this movie. Not that I loved it, but it seems I liked it more than most people...
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