Movie Review - 'What Happens in Vegas...'
Friday, May 9, 2008 at 12:00AM What Happens in Vegas...Starring Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, and Rob Corddry
Directed by Tom Vaughan
Rated PG-13
Curiously, in the new
romantic comedy
What Happens in Vegas...,
Ashton Kutcher and
Cameron Diaz are less irritating together
than they are all on their own. That's not to say that Vegas is a
great movie or even a good romantic comedy, but it doesn't hurt nearly as
much as it looks like it would.
The premise barely registers: Two down-on-their-luck singles meet in Vegas, get plowed, get married, and win $3 million. Now, even though they realize upon sobering up that they can't stand each other, they both want the money and will endure anything the other dishes out to see who blinks first.
It's a lot like the Cuban Missle Crisis with slot machines and a wedding ring.
Diaz, for whom a Shrek-less hit is now almost eight years behind her - it's been that long since the first Charlie's Angels - doesn't excel in romantic comedies, which is odd, because she sure as hell pops up in them a lot. Here again, as in previous romps like The Sweetest Thing and The Holiday, Diaz is not a very likable character, nor is the performance of that character significantly interesting. Turns out, this romantic comedy thing is harder than most people think; even when it's drivel, I'd still rather have Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon every time.
There was, in fact, something about Mary, but I don't think it carried over.
As for Kutcher, well, he's a limited actor. I think that goes without saying at this point. Still, he's OK here, as he usually is when he's not given too much to do. He displays better comedic timing than Diaz and unlike his counterpart, he doesn't come across stiff or apathetic.
The real highlight in What Happens in Vegas..., however, is the interaction between the quirky friends. Every romcom has the quirky friends, but in Vega, Rob Corddry and Lake Bell are constantly at each other's throats and sometimes it's even funny. Corddry actually walks away with the whole movie, which is a bit like being the guy who won the car from the radio station because you kept your hand on the hood longer than everybody else.
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