"NOW it's a party."

Ok, so I'm on a movie review binge. I've been very lucky for the past week to have been able to watch two great movies, and this is the other movie I was able to see - "Couples Retreat".

It took a little while before the movie got its groove and momentum to get the plot going, but once it got there (and especially once the couples got to the retreat part), the writing just took care of itself. Like any good sitcom or TV show that relies on an ensemble, this movie reached its peaks whenever the characters were together. (Albeit the great little dude, Colin Baiocchi, who plays Vince Vaughn and Malin Ackerman's youngest son, Kevin, did manage to steal all the scenes that he was in!)

(SPOILER ALERT! Do not read any further if you're still planning to watch the movie and have no interest in wanting to know what happens to Vince Vaughn et al.!) I loved how all the couples in the movie tries to work things through and not give in/up. And the real-ness of the characters really did speak to me. Well, maybe not so much the characters at the resort, but the couples themselves. Many people did not like this movie primarily because it was too safe and boring. Maybe we've all just become too cynical, but the "happily-ever-after" ending did put a smile on my face. :)

Some may find some of the scenes a bit awkward and off-putting, especially when the couples are seeming to have serious realizations about their own relationships, but the somber scenes are made up for by some of the funnier character-driven scenes, such as Jon Favreau's awkward cover-up when a bellhop walks in on him preparing to...uhm...tickle his Elmo. (Oh. Geez. That. Was. Terrible.)

All in all, a nice, fun, little movie - date or no date. :) But I suggest that you rent it on DVD, you might get more for your money that way. Plus you've got the extras. ;)