by Jeffrey K. Lyles |
It was inevitable that eventually someone would make a movie based on the ad campaign ‘‘What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.”
While the Cameron Diaz⁄Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy collaboration ‘‘What Happens in Vegas” isn’t as profound, its premise helps it stand out from the norm and it’s funny in its own right.
On a lark, two complete opposites — Joy (Diaz), an uptight control freak, and Jack (Kutcher), a professional slacker — spend a night partying in Vegas and wake up married. Shockingly, the two realize they have little in common and agree to get divorced just before Jack uses Joy’s quarter to win $3 million on a slot machine.
Citing another well-known line ‘‘what’s mine is yours,” Joy wants her share. In a twist that could only happen in the movies or a bad reality series, Judge Whopper (Dennis Miller) orders them to spend six months as a married couple before either can get the money.
Queen Latifah has a small cameo as a marriage counselor assigned to determine if they’re making an effort at the marriage. There’s more to this subplot in terms of comedic potential than screenwriter Dana Fox (‘‘The Wedding Date”) explores. Instead, the trips to the counselor’s office are cliches, wasting Latifah’s comedic talents.
Director Tom Vaughan, on his first major screen project, establishes a nice blend of over the top physical comedy.
Kutcher probably plays the adult slacker better than anyone in the business, and despite his forays into more serious fare, such as ‘‘The Butterfly Effect” and ‘‘Bobby,” his true calling seems to be as a goofball loser masquerading as an adult.
It’s no surprise then that he seems right at home as a frat boy. Diaz, a more versatile actress, is fun as she constantly outwits Jack. Fox might be a bit biased in her assessment of who wins the battle of the sexes, but her script is entertaining if predictable.
While supporting actor Rob Coddry is funny and obnoxious, he plays the perfect sidekick, relinquishing the spotlight, such as it is, to Kutcher. Conversely, Lake Bell gets stuck with a poorly written role as Joy’s best friend Tipper.
With few surprises, ‘‘What Happens” isn’t the be-all, end-all of romantic comedies, but it provides some good laughs.
What happens in vegas
Rated PG-13. 96 minutes.
Comedy.
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Rob Coddry, Lake Bell, Treat Williams, Queen Latifah, Dennis Miller, Dennis Farina.Director: Tom Vaughan.
