Movie Review: What Happens in Vegas

[xrr rating=1.5/5]

What Happens in Vegas
2008, 99mins, 12
Director: Tom Vaughan
Writer: Dana Fox
Cast includes: Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Rob Corddry, Lake Bell, Jason Sudeikis, Treat Williams, Queen Latifah
UK Release Date: 9th May 2008

It’s hard to see much worth in a dull romantic comedy, especially one as light on both romance and comedy as What happens in Vegas. I can happily sit through a Rom-Com that throws up a few chuckles and more importantly allows me to like the leads but unfortunately this particular clanger really accomplishes neither. I don’t dislike Cameron Diaz but here she’s pretty weak and I’ll happily admit to being prejudiced in Ashton Kutcher’s comedically inept direction, so on the starting block things aren’t looking too hot for this one. The story is also just a retooling of the “odd couple” formula done so many times in several far superior movies, leaving me wonder why would anyone care about this half hearted and unoriginal property.
Jack (Ashton Kutcher) is a slob who has just lost his job even though his father (Treat Williams) is his boss. Joy is a control freak who has just been dumped by her boyfriend after throwing him a surprise birthday party. So taking their best friends with them they do what any person suffering minor depression would (are you kidding me!) and take a plane to Vegas, where hotel incompetence allows them to cross paths. Initially taking a dislike to each other the pair start to get along famously with a bit of booze in them and shockingly when they wake up the next morning a hangover isn’t the worst of their issues. Apparently in a state of complete drunkenness the duo got married, and won $3,000,000. As a result the assets are split equally at divorce but the courts are unwilling to grant them one at such short notice. As a result they are required to live together and actively work at their marriage if they are to ever see a cent of their winnings. So in predictable genre fashion they proceed to play a tricks and pranks at each other’s expense in order to try and score the entire hoard rather than just a paltry half.
When romantic leads are quite as obnoxious as the duo in What happens in Vegas one has to ponder how the writer ever thought this would work, especially seeing it’s played for such mainstream laughs and hasn’t a black bone in its body. Both Kutcher and Diaz play the jerk or a variation of, she’s criminally irritating whilst his dick head attitude to life grates incredibly with the audience. As mentioned above on her good days I can stomach Diaz she’s a good looking women with marginal acting and solid comedic talent. However here she shows little practice of timing even though I’ve seen her use it multiple times and ultimately the character is to unpleasant and annoying to warm to on any level. Kutcher on the other hand is always a prat and one who lacks in any real ability for my money. Seeing his name on a poster is usually more than enough to make me cautious and indeed he may represent the most toxic element of the whole film. He achieves virtually no laughs with his delivery and recycled improv and smarms up the screen whenever he can. Together the pair have zero chemistry and ignite no sparks to call this romance “tepid” would be to overstate the matter enormously
On the plus side though in support Rob Corddry is reliably amusing, he adds energy and comedic ability to a film otherwise lacking in them and surely scores all the film’s most tolerable moments. I’ll admit to actually enjoying a selection of the scenes the SNL man featured in. Otherwise it’s more with the bleak, Lake Bell is consistently outclassed by everyone but Kutcher whilst people like Queen Latifah and Treat Williams score big bucks for easy parts. I can imagine the majority of people who made this had only money on the mind but in truth that doesn’t make this picture any less of a cinematic crime.
The movie is peppered with a few good laughs but they’re infrequent and smattered between sequences that will have you more likely grimace than smile and so that asset is almost ruled out. The director is Tom Vaughan who made 2006’s modestly amusing Starter For Ten and I’m pretty sure he’s a helmer who could once again be responsible for decent popcorn cinema but here he’s lumbered with a dunderheaded script and weak performances. Maybe it’s necessary for a director to make one bad but incredibly successful Hollywood movie in order to keep their careers success and if that is the case this might as well be Vaughans. His direction on this occasion is far from the projects weakest assets and at times actually makes it a little less painful but the pacing is off and at 99 minutes the effort feels too long. Again though it’s very possible this is the fault of the ineffective screenplay rather than the directing or editing faculty.
Overall I can’t see anyone walking in an enjoying What happens in Vegas and even if a handful do they’re not going to remember it for any length of time. Simply put it’s neither funny nor romantic and thus this particular Rom-Com is dud even on it’s own undemanding terms. A sure fire way to spoil and evening and if Las Vegas name wasn’t sullied enough already this cinematic piffle should just about complete the job.