Matthew ShallueWhat Happens in Vegas (2008)
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz
Directed by: Tom Vaughan
MPAA Rating: PG 13
Run Time: 99 minutes
What Happens in Vegas is a predictable romantic comedy staring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The plot is predictable because it mirrors every other romantic comedy ever made. Fortunately, the events and comedy makes up for the standard plot.
Joy McNally (Diaz), a stiff, young Wall Street up-and-comer, on the rebound from her fiancé’s nasty break-up, hops a jet to Las Vegas to get away and let loose. Ashton Kutcher stars as Jack Fuller, a life long underachiever, who gets fired from his job, by his own father. In typical slacker style, Fuller (Kutcher), also jets to Las Vegas for a few days of drinking and gambling. Joy and Jack meet though a mix-up with the hotel registration and end up in the same hotel room.
After a night of drinking and partying together, Joy and Jack wake up hung-over and married. During a heated argument on a casino floor, Jack and Joy agree to get an annulment, until Jack wins a $3 million jackpot using a coin Joy gave him. Of course the question of who the money belongs to comes into play, and since they are married, they both claim rights to it. During the annulment hearing, Judge Whopper (Dennis Miller) freezes the money and sentences Joy and Jack to six months of hard marriage, to prove to the two that marriage is not to be taken lightly. The ruling does not sit well with either Joy or Jack and they proceed to make each others lives a living hell.
Diaz and Kutcher play off of each other well, making the back and forth antics close to believable. Their deliberate attempts to irritate each other becomes repetitive, and a bit over the top, even for a comedy. Don’t be surprised if you loose interest for a moment. Thankfully this is not the bulk of the movie. The saving grace for What Happens in Vegas comes during the scenes where Joy and Jack decide to help each other. By the end of the movie, you may find Joy and Jack quite endearing and genuinely hoping that they stay together.
Directed by: Tom Vaughan
MPAA Rating: PG 13
Run Time: 99 minutes
What Happens in Vegas is a predictable romantic comedy staring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The plot is predictable because it mirrors every other romantic comedy ever made. Fortunately, the events and comedy makes up for the standard plot.
Joy McNally (Diaz), a stiff, young Wall Street up-and-comer, on the rebound from her fiancé’s nasty break-up, hops a jet to Las Vegas to get away and let loose. Ashton Kutcher stars as Jack Fuller, a life long underachiever, who gets fired from his job, by his own father. In typical slacker style, Fuller (Kutcher), also jets to Las Vegas for a few days of drinking and gambling. Joy and Jack meet though a mix-up with the hotel registration and end up in the same hotel room.
After a night of drinking and partying together, Joy and Jack wake up hung-over and married. During a heated argument on a casino floor, Jack and Joy agree to get an annulment, until Jack wins a $3 million jackpot using a coin Joy gave him. Of course the question of who the money belongs to comes into play, and since they are married, they both claim rights to it. During the annulment hearing, Judge Whopper (Dennis Miller) freezes the money and sentences Joy and Jack to six months of hard marriage, to prove to the two that marriage is not to be taken lightly. The ruling does not sit well with either Joy or Jack and they proceed to make each others lives a living hell.
Diaz and Kutcher play off of each other well, making the back and forth antics close to believable. Their deliberate attempts to irritate each other becomes repetitive, and a bit over the top, even for a comedy. Don’t be surprised if you loose interest for a moment. Thankfully this is not the bulk of the movie. The saving grace for What Happens in Vegas comes during the scenes where Joy and Jack decide to help each other. By the end of the movie, you may find Joy and Jack quite endearing and genuinely hoping that they stay together.
