“Couples Retreat” is one of those movies that may give you a slight smile, but will be quickly forgotten in a month. There are laughs to be sure, but the movie could have been so much more.
“Couples Retreat” deals with four different couples and their varying problems with their relationships. You have Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia Smith (Kristen Bell), an anal detail-oriented couple that love to show slide shows and put up graphs about their relationship. Then you have Dave (Vince Vaughn, one of the co-writers of the film) and Ronnie (Malin Ackerman), a seemingly happy couple with a couple of kids who are going through the motions of being happy. Joey (Jon Favreau, another co-writer) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) got married out of high school and have slowly disintegrated into just tolerating each other. Shane (Faizon Love) and Trudy (Kali Hawk) is the newest couple. Shane just got out of a marriage and started dating the much younger Trudy in the past couple of weeks.
Jason and Cythia are on the brink of divorce and they convince the other three couples to go with them to an island paradise. Here they can work on their marriage and save a lot of money in the process. It is called the Eden Resort. The troubled couples are put in Eden West, while the hedonistic singles are put on Eden East. Bora-Bora does look nice on the big screen with its crystal blue water and magical waterfalls. It isn’t quite used to its full advantage however.
Marcel (Jean Reno) runs Eden with his structured program and rigid rules. Reno has some fun with this role. He is typically a tough guy in movies like “The Professional” and “Ronin”. Marcel has created a system where the couples get early morning yoga, intense therapy sessions and team building exercises. It isn’t much fun for the couples, but there are some highlights to be had.
Vaughn has some funny moments with a harmless shark. He and Favreau still share some chemistry first displayed in “Swingers”. They are both older though and the energy isn’t quite what it used to be. Carlos Ponce steals the movie as the lecherous exercise instructor. You will giggle every time he appears on screen. The little kids also have some amusing moments in a home improvement store.
The laughs are scatter shot all around. The scenes dealing with the relationships seem authentic one moment and completely unbelievable in the next. It can be infuriating enough to make your head spin. The product placement for Guitar Hero is way too obvious. “Couples Retreat” still generates enough laughs for a recommendation. The last 20 minutes or so are excruciating though. The movie basically grinds to a halt, while tying everything up in a nice ribbon. To call the conclusion predictable is an understatement.
“Couples Retreat” is a decent time waster. If you are looking for a comedy classic, look elsewhere. If you want something that won’t tax the brain too much, then this might be for you.
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