Couples Retreat

Couples Retreat is a high concept Vince Vaughn vehicle that should satisfy his numerous fans. He's teamed with regular partner Jon Favreau, and if you've seen their other films together you know exactly what to expect: dialogue that's both sarcastic, neurotic, and generally amusing. The premise is thus: four couples travel to a tropical island paradise for mandatory couples counseling, and none of the other fun stuff that you would normally expect to do on such a trip. Jason Bateman is the one who organizes the adventure, and he plays the overly sincere, earnest character that he's perfected in his films of late. He, along with his wife, played by Kristen Bell are really the only ones who take the whole thing seriously, as the others just want to enjoy their tropical paradise. By the way, Kristen Bell's last big hit was Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and like this film she spent much of it in a bikini; if it's a coincidence, well, it's happy one. In short, the film is basically a forgettable diversion that I did find amusing. If you enjoy the Vince Vaughn persona, then see it.

Rating - 3 Stars (Light)