An unabashed star vehicle totally devoid of creativity, What Happens in Vegas could easily have been a fluffy, Depression-era comedy from the old MGM dream factory—except, of course, for the crude sexual innuendos and coarse gags involving bodily functions. The story begins promisingly with irresponsible slacker Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) losing his job and careerist control freak Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz) dumped by her fiancé. While having a fling in Vegas to forget their troubles, the two meet in a resort hotel, proceed to drown their sorrows, and impulsively marry after a night of drunken revelry. The next morning, just after the hung-over newlyweds agree to have the marriage annulled, Jack wins a $3 million jackpot with a quarter given to him by Joy. The ensuing court case finds a cynical judge (Dennis Miller) forcing the couple to remain married for six months before even considering a division of the winnings. And therein lies the basis for the film's humor: by this time Jack and Joy are bitter enemies and each tries to sabotage the marriage in the hopes the other will file for a quickie divorce and relinquish any claim to the money. Given that the gags are predictable and the punchlines telegraphed well in advance, the movie's appeal basically is limited to fans of Kutcher and Diaz, who labor mightily for their few laughs. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Tom Vaughan and editor Matt Friedman, an eight-minute “Sitting Down with Cameron and Ashton” featurette with stars Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, a “DVD Extra Time with Zach Galifianakis” interview with costar Galifianakis and Vaughan (8 min.), six deleted/extended scenes (8 min.), a five-minute gag reel, a four-minute “From the Law Firm of Stephen J. Hader, Esq.” mock featurette, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the pop-up drinking game “Bottoms Up! An Intoxicating Vegas Experience.” Bottom line: a solid extras package for a lame romantic comedy.] (E. Hulse)
What Happens in Vegas
Fox, 99 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, Aug. 26 Volume 23, Issue 4
What Happens in Vegas
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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