The Ex

Scrubs star Zach Braff has already proven to be a formidable big-screen talent (as the writer-director-star of the excellent Garden State), so it's something of a disappointment to see him laboring for laughs in this underachieving farce from filmmaker Jesse Peretz. The Ex relies heavily on the comedy of embarrassment, with Braff (in a perfect Ben Stiller role—which is not a compliment) cast as a young married man who reluctantly accepts an ad-agency job proffered by his insecure father-in-law (Charles Grodin). The newbie's mentor, unfortunately, happens to be his wife's (Amanda Peet) former boyfriend (Jason Bateman), who manages to excel at everything he tries even though he's wheelchair-bound. Naturally, Braff's character comes to resent his erstwhile rival, especially when the ex predictably goes out of his way to make the new arrival look foolish and ill-prepared. The Ex has a perfectly legitimate comedic premise and hits the mark with some gags poking fun at New Age attitudes, but it generally suffers from a lack of sharp writing, putting the normally laidback Braff at a disadvantage, while Bateman, who is practically legendary in sitcom circles, struggles to wring titters from the so-so material. Optional. [Note: Available in either unrated widescreen or a PG-13 rated full screen version, DVD extras include an alternate opening and three alternate endings (10 min.), eight deleted scenes (6 min.), three minutes of bloopers, and trailers. Bottom line: a so-so extras package for a so-so comedy.] (E. Hulse)