= 1 star

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Sara Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel
Directed by Tom Dey

Amazon link

Failure to Launch starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker is a pretty calculated movie, one where the math is pretty wrong. It’s basically a by the numbers romantic comedy (boy meets girl, they break up, they get back together) combined with the mean spirit of Meet the Parents and the social awkwardness of 40 Year Old Virgin. Unfortunately the film takes the “edge” too far, and Tripp, the 30 year old who still lives with his parents, is pretty much an ass the whole time and it’s never clear why Sarah Jessica Parker should fall in love with him. Maybe it’s the fact that all the other characters in the film are even stupider or meaner than Tripp?

There’s a glimmer of humor in a subplot involving Paula’s room-mate Kit (Zooey Deschanel) and her romance, paint ball, and shooting a mocking bird, but only because that plot is so inane and childish that it’s kind of cute. These moments also have a strange 80s vibe, even down to Kit’s goofy wardrobe and shorter-than-short dialogue.

But the film’s groan out loud moments outweigh the laughs, especially near the final stretch when we are treated to a naked Terry Bradshaw and a running joke involving women slapping their boyfriends. I suggest deleting this film from your Netflix queue, unless you’re an obsessed Zooey Deschanel fan.

IMDB: Failure to Launch
Wikipedia: Failure To Launch
Rotten Tomatoes: Failure To Launch 26%

Categories: 1 Star Movies, General, Movies :: Tags: :: Trackback URL
Front Page
Previous Post: Bottle Cap Craziness
Next Post: Music Notes: Beck, Guero
Related Posts: Webomaticast #3: 3G iPhone, Tech Crap, Movie Ratings :: How To Get A List Of All iTunes Movie Rentals :: Movie Notes: Ten Must-Haves in Any Romantic Comedy :: Battlestar Galactica: DVD Movie Plans ::