Couples Retreat

It seems that Hollywood is being taken over by powerful groups of friends. First it was Clooney, Pitt, Damon, and Soderbergh. Then it was Apatow, Rogan, Sandler, and Rudd. Now it is apparently Vaughn, Favreau, Bateman, and Billingsley. Do they have the staying power? Sadly, no. The buddy genre will continue, but the allure is sadly gone. Couples Retreat is exactly what it appears to be; a fun movie to make with a fairly intriguing theme. What shows up on screen is a somewhat banal comedy with some unnecessary plot points and character traits that only amuses at times, and when least expected.

The plot has many holes in it that makes this romantic comedy (for lack of a better categorical definition) shallow and flaky. Bateman is disappointing because he is given the role of the serious stiff of the group. He isn't given the opportunity to show his comedic chops and so he just comes off as annoying. Favreau is just plain despicable, as is his wife, Kristin Davis. Kristen Bell is cute, but unbelievable as a barren corporate tightwad. The only bright spots are the perky Malia Akerman and Vince Vaughn as the only couple without some major marriage issues. I haven't enjoyed Vaughn in years. It seems that his head gets bigger, and although he has brilliant natural comedic talent, he seems like a bit of a douche bag. He impressed me with his humble approach to the role and made some very well-timed deliveries on top of some of his usual loudmouth antics.

Good supporting roles are played by John Michael Higgins and Ken Jeong as therapists working on the island resort, working with the couples to try to guide them toward the path to recovery. Additionally, Carlos Ponce as the sexually charged yoga instructor, and Colin Baiocchi as the youngest of Vaughn's sons give the film the levity and humor that it is missing from start to finish.

The plot is predictable and weak, but what would you expect from a movie about couples in an island paradise; comedians and hot women. It is quite lackluster and predictable and The only saving point is that as the film comes to an end, it doesn't climax too soon. The ending passes without much fanfare, but it has its moments and isn't altogether awful.

I was expecting much more from a Jason Bateman film, but maybe I was expecting too much. He is too funny to be stifled by a lame character and boring dialogue. My prediction is that Colin Baiocchi will achieve child actor status of such industry legends as Haley Joel Osment and Jonathan Lipnicki. If you didn't sense the facetious tone, I will say that seriously he has potential.

Came for the comedy, left dissatisfied. Peter Billingsley is no Judd Apatow. 6/10.