'Couples Retreat' review

Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman and Vince Vaughn (Credit: John Johnson/Universal)

Photos:

Vince Vaughn flashback

Take a look at the highs and lows of the 'Couples Retreat'...

What we have here is a failure to communicate. Well, that and other problems for a bunch of suburban Chicago couples, including Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell), whose inability to conceive has them contemplating divorce. The solution? Rounding up their friends (Vince Vaughn/Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau/Kristin Davis, Faizon Love/Kali Hawk) and heading to an exotic Bora Bora resort for sun, sand and extensive couples therapy.

The buzz: It's been years since Vaughn ("Four Christmases," "Fred Claus," "The Break Up") delivered a funny movie. But this is a solid cast and Vaughn wrote the script with his ol' pal Favreau ("Swingers"), so this "Retreat" has at least gotta be better than terrible. Probably.

The verdict: Populated with people you would never, ever want to go away with, "Couples Retreat" is far too angry to entertain and about as funny and romantic as a baggage claim. A few laughs come from the sidelines (thanks to John Michael Higgins and Ken Jeong as unusual therapists), but the pain comes from Vaughn and Favreau's smug performances and a script that bounces between annoyingly insincere therapy sessions and wacky, unfunny situations that attempt to lighten the mood. (No dice.) The scenery makes you want to be somewhere other than a movie theater, and the movie has the same effect.

Did you know? Vaughn's character's son urinates in a store toilet, explaining that, "It looks like a real toilet to me." You just can't argue with that logic.

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