Couples Retreat

This may have been a great concept but as an actual movie, it falls flat. Four couples go to a Caribbean resort, three of the couples think it's a vacation but it's actually a week of couples therapy.

Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau wrote the movie as well as starred in it. They may be bankable stars but Couples Retreat must have been a vanity project for them and they really could have benefited from having someone around to tell them “no,” as in “Dude, that ain't funny.” There were a few laughs but there were more groaners, so I'd skip this even on home video.

What really got me were these middle-aged, schlubby guys married to hot, buff, gorgeous women. Now, I'm a middle-aged, schlubby guy so if it seemed disturbing to me, what must it seem to normal people's sensibilities? Here's how the couples line up:

Jason Bateman (40) → Kristen Bell (29)
Vince Vaughn (39) → Malin Akerman (31)

There's nothing wrong with older men, younger women, but did I mention these guys are schlubs? The other couple matches up better on paper:

Jon Favreau (43) → Kristen Davis (44)

But Favreau is not much to look at while Davis is so toned she could pass for someone in her 20s. Did I mention it was disturbing? I've never seen Kristen Davis in anything else before but she certainly has my attention now and she more than gave Bell and Akerman a run for their money.

Final note: Couples Retreat was directed by Favreau's buddy Peter Billingsley. Yes, the kid who almost shot his eye out in The Christmas Story. Looks like little Ralphie grew up to be a yes man.

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