| Couples Retreat [Blu-ray] | ![Couples Retreat [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DSUHB447L._SL160_.jpg) | Actors: Jason Bateman, Charlotte Cornwell, Jon Favreau, Amy Hill, Faizon Love Studio: Universal Studios Category: DVD
List Price: $36.98 Buy Used: $13.97 as of 3/11/2010 07:11 CST details
New (32) Used (19) from $13.97
Seller: sellvideos Rating: 75 reviews Sales Rank: 656
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed) Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: Blu-ray Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Number Of Discs: 2 Running Time: 113 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 1 Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 05707 UPC: 025192057076 EAN: 0025192057076
Theatrical Release Date: 2009 Release Date: February 9, 2010 (New: Last 30 Days) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description Universal Pictures Couples Retreat (Blu-ray)Vince Vaughn leads anall-star cast in the laugh-out-loud comedy about eight friends whose vacation in paradise is one theyll never forget. Their group-rate vacation comes at a price when they discover that participationin the resort's unconventional couples therapy activities is anything but optional. Co-starring Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Malin Akerman, Couples Retreatis a hilarious party in paradise, loaded with laughter and fun!
Amazon.com Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau team up after their '90s career-making hit, Swingers, to write and costar in Couples Retreat, a romantic comedy that's heavy on the satire, but is also knowing and wry, as Swingers is at its best. Vaughn and Favreau are joined in the top-notch cast by the always engaging Kristin Bell (whose appearance with Vaughn, in a romantic tropical setting, may remind viewers of Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis (Sex and the City), Faizon Love, and Jean Reno. Fans of romantic comedies, and comedies of manners, will be delighted at the snappy interaction among the actors, and the zingers delivered by the script. "You are not buying some 20-year-old broad a motorcycle!" yells Vaughn's character, Dave, to Love's character, Shane, who's having an early midlife crisis. "She's a kid! Buy her a Hello Kitty book!" Turns out that all the couples in Dave and Shane's circle are having issues, and decide to take a group tropical vacation. Ah, but there's a catch: the island getaway comes with mandatory couples counseling and bonding events. Most of the film's laughs come from cringe-worthy fish-out-of-water moments, though there are some pretty great fish-in-water moments, too: Dave begins to panic during a test involving swimming with sharks. "It's time to get the gun, and shoot some fish!" Reno is also a standout, as the unctuous New Age-y director of the retreat, fearless in spewing half-nonsense yet having the almost admirable courage to stand behind his convictions. The film was directed with a light hand by Peter Billingsley, who starred as young Ralphie in A Christmas Story, and who has acted with Vaughn in Four Christmases and The Break-Up. And somehow, among the lunacy and the beauty of nature, friends and soulmates may just find the way back to each other. Just steer clear of the Jet Skis. --A.T. Hurley
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 75
Couples Retreat Review March 11, 2010 Craig Whittle (Phoenix, AZ) COUPLES RETREAT
STARRING: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Jean Reno, Kali Hawk, Peter Serafinowicz, Carlos Ponce and Tasha Smith
WRITTEN BY: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Dana Fox
DIRECTED BY: Peter Billingsley
Rated: PG - 13
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: 09 October 2009
I don't think Vince Vaughn can help but steal any scene he's in. Couples Retreat was lucky to have him; without him the film would have been a mediocre, predictable comedy.
It's not a bad movie, but this was not what I was expecting. For a movie starring legends Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman, and co-written by Vaughn and Favreau, it was on the verge of being disappointing. I'm a huge fan of all three, along with the rest of the cast, and have high expectations of them.
The film is still entertaining and visually nice to look at. First time director, Peter Billingsley (the little kid from A Christmas Story) captures some amazing, tropical scenery. It makes the film more likable. It's so perfect that Favreau's character Joey has a great line describing the island looking like a screen saver.
Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell play Cynthia and Jason: a couple going through a rough patch. They schedule a meeting with their close friends, who make up three other couples, to shoot them a proposal; a romantic get-away to an island paradise. But ALL must commit in order to get a reduced rate. Cynthia and Jason decide to neglect to mention that they will all have to partake in couple's therapy.
Some of the funniest moments in the film were the montages of the couple's therapy sessions. They were well acted and cleverly spliced together, making them even more entertaining. The cast had great chemistry. They were all convincing and led me to believe they would be friends outside of the film. You can catch some hilarious extended versions of these scenes on the DVD.
Although Cynthia and Jason's relationship appears to need the most help, the film focuses primarily on couple, Dave (Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman).
This was no surprise, as Vaughn is hands down one of the best in the biz when it comes to delivering laughs. Unfortunately, I felt like he was unintentionally carrying the movie. And because he had to focus on bringing everyone else's share of comedy to the table, we weren't really able to indulge in his performance. Yet still, he gives us several humorous moments with well-timed dialogue that is more than satisfactory.
Vaughn and Favreau are masters of improvisation but it seemed that they didn't get to dabble in this art as they have so religiously in past films such as the flawless, The Break-Up. Also, Jason Bateman was good for a few laughs but he too seemed to be constricted from his usual long tangents of dry, sarcastic bliss.
About 60 percent of the jokes fall short before the punch-line. There is opportunity after opportunity that could have had us rolling in stitches and instead leave us with only a soft chuckle.
Take the scene where Vaughn's character Dave is left to fend for himself in a swarm of vicious sharks. None of the other characters offer any additional comedy whatsoever. This was an unsettling occurrence repeated throughout the entire course of the film.
In another scene Favreau attempts to have an `alone time' session, if you will, and it is spoiled by an intruder. This scene had great potential but fell short. I feel he may not have been granted the freedom to take it to the next level.
Because of the highly respected, enjoyable talents involved in Couples Retreat, my expectations were set too high and thus were not fulfilled. The film was not a downer and I'm sure a lot of folks will enjoy it immensely. I look forward to all of their future projects and hope they do not again retreat from delivering their full potential of comedy.
Forgettable I think. March 9, 2010 A. Smith (Bay Area, CA) I expected to like this despite the bad critics reviews. I liked "The Break Up" even though a lot of people didn't because they found it uncomfortable to watch Aniston and Vaughn fight, this was like that only not as funny (IMO of course). It started off ok but went nowhere. I guess this is what they mean by forgettable because I watched it a week ago and I can't remember what I disliked so much about it, just a waste of time I guess. If there was half stars I'd give it 2.5 because there were some funny parts... I'm rambling again.
It was a'right March 8, 2010 SereneNight (California, USA) This was a fairly amusing film about several dysfunctional couples who decide to going on vacation together, unaware their pal has hooked them up at a `couples' retreat where mandatory counseling and `team building exercises' are involved. Most of the couples go into denial they have problems, although it becomes abundantly clear to everyone that they do. There are several relatively amusing bits...But most of the jokes involve double entendre and innuendo and sometimes it just isn't that amnusing, just vaguely embarrasing.
I liked it... Somewhat. I wanted to see what happened to the characters and their relationships. Minor complaint: do think they could've put at least one male hottie in this this one. If I'm going to have to watch a film with people frolicking in their shorts making crude jokes I at least one or two of the main characters to be hot! Instead all the male leads are out of shape and middle-aged. Yikes. Ah well, the same old Hollywood double-standard. *Sigh.*
This was an okay film. I'd watch it on a rainy day if nothing else was on.
Fun light hearted movie March 7, 2010 K. Burton 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I gave this movie 5 stars because it is a great romantic comedy, perfect if you want to escape reality for a few hours and just laugh. I think everyone can see a little of their relationship in one of the couples. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who needs a good laugh.
Predictable March 7, 2010 James W. Bickel 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Very predictable plot. Rented the DVD and spent most of my time fast forwarding through out the whole movie. A major waste of time, talent and money. They too were probably more concerned about hopping on jet skis instead making a decent movie. Just pass on by...
Showing reviews 1-5 of 75
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