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Couples Retreat

Couples Retreat (2009)

tomatometer

12

Average Rating: 3.6/10
Reviews Counted: 155
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 137

Despite a talented cast and some reliably pleasant interplay between Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat leaves viewers stranded in an arid, mirthless comedy.

14

Average Rating: 3.8/10
Critic Reviews: 29
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 25

Despite a talented cast and some reliably pleasant interplay between Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat leaves viewers stranded in an arid, mirthless comedy.

audience

47

liked it
Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 275,985

My Rating

Movie Info

Their relationship in danger of dissipating, a couple racing to salvage their marriage invites three other couples to join them at a tropical island resort. Upon arriving at the island paradise to enjoy some carefree fun in the sun, the other couples are disturbed to discover that participation in therapy sessions is mandatory if they hope to remain at the resort. Peter Bilingsley directs a comedy penned by Jon Favreau, produced by Vince Vaughn, and pairing the two Made collaborators onscreen

PG-13, 1 hr. 54 min.

Comedy

Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Dana Fox

Feb 9, 2010

$109.2M

Universal Pictures

Cast

All Critics (156) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (19) | Rotten (139) | DVD (7)

Why couldn't Couples Retreat have been lighthearted and zany throughout, instead of trying to push across a message about picket-fence monogamy?

October 16, 2009 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment (1)
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This is one of those films, like last week's Whip It and so many others of late, that looks like it was a lot fun to make. It's just not all that much fun to watch.

October 9, 2009 Full Review Source: Detroit News | Comment (1)
Detroit News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

There are also scenes, the disjointed kind that wander off aimlessly in the vague hope of finding a movie, not to mention a laugh.

October 9, 2009 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | Comment
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Couples Retreat is a comedy of exhaustion. But it is the comedy itself, in both concept and execution, that seems tired.

October 9, 2009 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Greatly silly and unexpectedly wise at times.

October 9, 2009 Full Review Source: Denver Post | Comment (1)
Denver Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

You know those comedies that hit a little dry spell and have a hard time recovering? Couples Retreat has one that lasts about, oh, 90 minutes.

October 9, 2009 Comment (1)
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A Tyler Perry movie for white folks.

March 4, 2011 Full Review Source: LarsenOnFilm | Comment
LarsenOnFilm

Couples Retreat is a lazy, unimaginative comedy that, with the talent on show, should have been a whole lot more than another boring rom-com to throw on the pile.

April 15, 2010 Full Review Source: Fan The Fire | Comment
Fan The Fire

...an utterly incompetent comedic affair...

March 14, 2010 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

A bit of a guilty pleasure. But, most of the humor falls flat. Interesting that it's a Vince Vaughn vehicle that doesn't give Vaughn enough to do. Paul Chambers, CNN.

February 10, 2010 Full Review Source: CNNRadio | Comment
CNNRadio

A pleasant romantic romp likely to delight, provided you're willing to put your brain on pause for a couple of hours.

February 9, 2010 Full Review Source: Sly Fox | Comment
Sly Fox

full review at Movies for the Masses

December 10, 2009 Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | Comment
Movies for the Masses

Instead of being a sharp, witty comedy about married couples experiencing vacation therapy together, it's more of a pinheads-in-paradise routine with only a few funny lines.

December 2, 2009 Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | Comment
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

It's some kind of trick when a film can make Jason Bateman look unsubtle.

November 19, 2009 Full Review Source: Nitrate Online | Comment (1)
Nitrate Online

Somewhere in all of this, there is the potential for a pretty good comedy, but this movie isn't it.

October 31, 2009 Full Review Source: Christianity Today | Comment

The vapid couples become sniping or sarcastic chunks of white blandness even sharks would spit back up. A kind of bad video-game romance-comedy: 2D characters, flat dialogue, an exotic backdrop, and lame new levels of relationship challenges.

October 23, 2009 Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | Comment
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

Couples is so formulaic, so fake and relentlessly bland, it's hard to care if any of these pairings get a divorce, drown or are eaten by sharks. It has neither the ring of truth nor the fun of fantasy.

October 20, 2009 Full Review Source: Times [UK] | Comment
Times [UK]

Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, wrote the witless script, so have only themselves to blame.

October 20, 2009 Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | Comment
Observer [UK]

The debutant director is done no favours by a screenplay from Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau which gives him little to play with and them few chances to shine as actors.

October 20, 2009 Full Review Source: This is London | Comment
This is London

A patchwork collection of derivative gags and relationship drama that seems leftover from old 'thirtysomething' episodes.

October 19, 2009 Comment
The Trend

Retreat as quickly as possible.

October 19, 2009 Full Review Source: Illinois Times | Comment
Illinois Times

For all its visual splendor, to say nothing of its likable cast, the movie never feels as liberating as its locale.

October 17, 2009 Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | Comment
Creative Loafing
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Couples Retreat

I just wasted my time on this.

February 25, 2010
3niR
Dead Angel

Super Reviewer

Cute in parts but nothing special.

December 20, 2009
jjnxn
jay nixon

Super Reviewer

    1. Dave: I'm gonna be the biggest ass you have ever seen.
    – Submitted by Hanna K (9 months ago)
    1. Dave: Please don't pee in that, it's not a real toilet.
    – Submitted by Chris P (13 months ago)
    1. Dave: Take the French out of your mouth and tell me what to do.
    – Submitted by Chris P (13 months ago)

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