Review:
Vince Vaughn can make anything likeable. He even managed to make watching Fred Claus a survivable experience. True to form he is completely watchable here even if the movie doesn’t offer much else.
The plot is simple enough; four couples go to a beautiful tropical resort for relationship counselling. Vaughn’s character and his wife, played by Malin Akerman are given the thankless roles of the token ‘normal’ couple, the straight men to the other characters. While Vaughn manages to have a few moments of fun playing the wry quipster Akerman’s part could be played by any random mannequin being by far the least distinctive character in the movie. It’s a shame too, as the actress has shown she can flourish in a comedy – remember her ex-coke fiend, sexually perverted airhead in The Heartbreak Kid? Good times.
Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis play the bickering veterans of a two decade long marriage. This is the second film in a row where Jon Favreau plays a jackass ungratefully married to a woman ridiculously out of his league*, so if you have seen I Love You Man you can feel free to sleep through his subplot. Kristin Davis is beautiful as ever and has good comic timing even if she doesn’t have anything strenuous to do.
Then we have Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell as the young(ish) couple whose marriage is on the rocks. It’s a surprisingly sweet performance from the two and in so much as the movie as a heart it lies here. Bell in particular has an air of beauty and fragility that really makes you want to see her in a proper lead role one of these days.
Last and possibly least come Faizon Love and Kali Hawk: an obese middle-aged divorcé and the twenty year old bimbo he unwisely began seeing two weeks ago and has decided to bring along to paradise. Faizon Love isn’t bad but Hawk is a cipher, which given she is playing a brainless sex bomb might actually be in character. Regardless this is not a very enthralling storyline though it picks up a bit at the end.
Throw in Jean Reno and Peter Serafinowicz as the resort staff, the breathtakingly beautiful waters of Bora Bora and you have yourself a modest night’s entertainment without requiring you to turn on your brain. Just don't go in looking for Dodgeball.
Suitable for dates: Sure, why not.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 10.
* Seriously, Jaime Pressly and Kirsten Davis. How does he do it?
Vince Vaughn can make anything likeable. He even managed to make watching Fred Claus a survivable experience. True to form he is completely watchable here even if the movie doesn’t offer much else.
The plot is simple enough; four couples go to a beautiful tropical resort for relationship counselling. Vaughn’s character and his wife, played by Malin Akerman are given the thankless roles of the token ‘normal’ couple, the straight men to the other characters. While Vaughn manages to have a few moments of fun playing the wry quipster Akerman’s part could be played by any random mannequin being by far the least distinctive character in the movie. It’s a shame too, as the actress has shown she can flourish in a comedy – remember her ex-coke fiend, sexually perverted airhead in The Heartbreak Kid? Good times.
Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis play the bickering veterans of a two decade long marriage. This is the second film in a row where Jon Favreau plays a jackass ungratefully married to a woman ridiculously out of his league*, so if you have seen I Love You Man you can feel free to sleep through his subplot. Kristin Davis is beautiful as ever and has good comic timing even if she doesn’t have anything strenuous to do.
Then we have Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell as the young(ish) couple whose marriage is on the rocks. It’s a surprisingly sweet performance from the two and in so much as the movie as a heart it lies here. Bell in particular has an air of beauty and fragility that really makes you want to see her in a proper lead role one of these days.
Last and possibly least come Faizon Love and Kali Hawk: an obese middle-aged divorcé and the twenty year old bimbo he unwisely began seeing two weeks ago and has decided to bring along to paradise. Faizon Love isn’t bad but Hawk is a cipher, which given she is playing a brainless sex bomb might actually be in character. Regardless this is not a very enthralling storyline though it picks up a bit at the end.
Throw in Jean Reno and Peter Serafinowicz as the resort staff, the breathtakingly beautiful waters of Bora Bora and you have yourself a modest night’s entertainment without requiring you to turn on your brain. Just don't go in looking for Dodgeball.
Suitable for dates: Sure, why not.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 10.
* Seriously, Jaime Pressly and Kirsten Davis. How does he do it?
