”Couples Retreat” is an all-inclusive laugh vacation, a comedic retreat with Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman at the top of their funnyman game.

A warning though, while there is no frontal nudity, there are a lot of sexual references and innuendos that may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

Another warning, if you see this movie with your wife/girlfriend/date, you may end up discussing any “problems” or “issues” in your relationship.
 

(My spoiler free review)

The sights in Bora Bora are amazing, the cast is really good, and the script is well-written… but as I’ve wrote before, for me the greatness of this movie may be a victim of its marketing campaign – some of the funniest moments are in the trailers and tv spots.

Don’t get me wrong, this movie is funny, and most audiences will be hearing and seeing these jokes for the first time, but there are some jokes that are also predictable… its a good thing this movie also has a story like “The Hangover” and is not just a series of jokes and pranks, but unlike “The Hangover” this movie doesn’t really surprise or create something we haven’t seen before in other comedies.

Vaughn, Bateman, John Favreau, Faizon Love, Malin Ackerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis and the rest of the cast are great… everyone creates a memorable character and the movie delivers a ton of one-liners.

The movie does entertain and does make you laugh, but its not my favorite comedy of the year, it could make my top five… we’ll see with 4 months left… its on the bubble.

FYI – While there are no bloopers during creditrs like some comedies, there is a short scene at the end of the credits.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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 ”Extract” is okay, clever, and funny, but never reaches the level of a new comedy classic, like creator Mike Judge’s “Office Space”.

The movie does earn its “R” rating with adult themes… its not gratuitous or overly raunchy, but it does have language that you might want younger viewers to avoid.

 Like “Office Space” and “Idiocracy” before it – Judge creates some great characters in “Extract”.   It starts with Jason Bateman’s solid turn as Joel – the boss of the factory making extract…  his talkative neighbor, Nathan, played expertly by David Koechner… J.K. Simmons nails another supporting role as Joel’s factory manager … Ben Affleck pulls off Joel’s goofy friend Dean… Mila Kunis is convincing as the scheming new girl Cindy… while Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins Jr., Beth Grant, Gene Simmons, and Dustin Milligan add to the solid mix with their characters.

Where the characters are fun and interesting, and there are some funny jokes – the story never completely connects with everyone or gains any real comedic momentum - just several mildly amusing jokes and funnies.  The movie is very deliberate and matter-of-fact, even slow for some… and while it gets where its going in the story, it is not overly entertaining.

While the cult-classic Mike Judge movie “Office Space” focuses on workers in an office, this movie focuses more on the boss in a factory… those two differences may be the reason why it didn’t connect to me on a personal level.  I’m curious if this is funnier to anyone who has worked in a factory and/or is the boss of a business.  (If so, please post a comment below)

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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“State of Play” is a great twisting thriller that will keep you guessing ’till the end.

This is a movie that worked on soo many levels.  On the surface: good drama, good acting, good twists and surprises make up a great story.  But underneath this story takes the basic perception of modern politics: twists and spins of the truth combined with the basic idea of journalism: the search for the truth and mixes them together in a great work of cinema. 

Russell Crowe shines as the journalist (his last performance in “Body of Lies” was not as strong) searching for the truth and Ben Affleck holds his own as the other main character – the politician at the center of a high profile Washington, D.C. scandal.

The supporting cast is very strong from newspaper editor Helen Mirren, to cub reporter Rachael McAdams, Michigan’s own Jeff Daniels as a senior senator, Harry Lennix as the Detective, and Jason Bateman as… well, I don’t want to ruin it for you.

The acting is top notch, the suspense and tension are very palpable, and just when you think you have it all figured out… keep watching.

Its nice to see a movie with a slightly more realistic view of journalism as it takes more than one scene, phonecall, or interview to track down the story.

My only real criticism is the heavy-handed “conspiracy theory” theme running through the movie.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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(RE-POSTING FROM 7/27/08)

Good, but not as super: “Hancock”

“Hancock” was a pretty good superhero movie, not great and not something to rush and see considering the current options now in theaters, but if you love the Superhero Genre and/or like Will Smith, its definitely worth renting…. I probably would have liked it more had I not seen “Iron Man” or “The Dark Knight” earlier this summer.

 “Hancock”

(Rated: PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language) (1 hr, 32 min)

Genre: Action/Comedy/Superhero/Drama

Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman

The Plot: A hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who’s trying to repair his image.