The School Newspaper of Winston Churchill High School.

The Observer

The School Newspaper of Winston Churchill High School.

The Observer

The School Newspaper of Winston Churchill High School.

The Observer

Comedy star struggles to find laughs in new movie

For a funny comedian, Vince Vaughn really knows how to depress. He is the living, breathing definition of a has-been.

Despite past hits like Wedding Crashers, Dodgeball and Old School, Vaughn has been unable to produce another gem. He would not be a household name if he had not previously been involved with former Friends star Jennifer Aniston.

Earlier this month, Vaughn passed up a chance to redeem himself for the last four years, a span which included two abysmal holiday movies: Four Christmases and Fred Claus. With the release of his new movie Couples Retreat, Vaughn has confirmed that he is a three-hit wonder.

Couples Retreat is about four struggling couples trying to make their respective relationships work. Dave, the main character, played by Vaughn, leads his group to the famous Eden resort in the tropics to help out his friend Jason (Jason Bateman) and his wife solve the problems in their relationships. He later realizes his relationship is in trouble as well.

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The group is in for more than expected when they realize that they accidentally signed up for the world-renowned “Pelican Package” which involves a strict daily regiment starting at 6 a.m. focused on couples counseling and relationship skill building.

Vaughn is accompanied by a good cast, nowhere near as talented as what he has been used to in the past, but good leads make those around them better. In this case, nothing could be further from the truth. Kudos to Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau and the rest of the crew for bailing Vaughn out and making Couples Retreat somewhat bearable to watch.

The movie is definitely worth watching, but only if you have not seen Vaughn’s other movies. He makes the same sarcastic remarks in every movie he’s ever been in. The predictability of Vaughn’s recent characters is the reason for his decline and fall.

Some lines in Couples Retreat almost seem forced, especially those spoken by Vaughn. Several failed attempts were made for a famous Vince Vaughn rant. Some actors are famous for playing the same character in all their movies, Will Ferrell, for example. Contrary to what he may portray in his movies, Vaughn does not have the luxury of playing the same character over and over. Sorry Vince, you’re boring.

Because of his popularity and his incredible ability to ride on the coattails on his former relationships and his involvement in the Frat Pack, Couples Retreat opened at an acceptable 34 million dollars and therefore will probably buy him another movie deal with some respectable production agency willing to take another chance on him.

Vince Vaughn should know this much: Hollywood is a tough place and has no problem making an example out of anyone. If he continues to fail, not only will he be disrespected as an actor, but his legacy may also be long forgotten.

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Comedy star struggles to find laughs in new movie