Failure to Launch
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   226 of 452 readers found this review helpful.

A lot of you don’t know, but I have a soft side. I love fresh clothes out of the dryer, walks on the beach, children, and at times a good romantic comedy. There’s nothing like cuddling up to a women, or man for some of you Bums out there, and watching a feel good romantic comedy. Now what makes a good romantic comedy? That is easy. One of two things should happen while watching these types of movies. Option one is while watching the movie you look over to your lover and realize how much you care for that person. Quite poetic, huh? A good romantic comedy does in fact have that power. Option two, on the other hand, will have you looking at your lover and wondering why they can’t be like the characters on the screen.

“Damn you woman, why can’t you do nice things like that or where some hot outfits like her?!?”

Both options are truly the same, because the movie had that loving power to it. I know what you are thinking. Rufus, you have become soft. Rufus you have become weak. Well, maybe you are right to some extent. To that I ask to you macho men out there, why are you reading a review of a romantic comedy? Yeah busted.

Anyways, I took nothing from this movie. I didn’t look at my fiancé and go, “boy I’m lucky that I have you”, or anything along those lines. We laughed a few times, then when the movie was over I asked her what was for dinner and we just proceeded to not talk to each other like any other night. To sum this whole intro up, this was not a good romantic comedy. Now was it a good movie? That, my friend, is a completely different question. The short answer is not really.

Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) has life pretty damn good. He has a nice job that he never seems to need to go to, drives a Porche and gets gorgeous women. He also lives with his parents still, so dinner is always made and laundry is done for him. You just gotta love that! Everything is great in life, but his parents (the surprisingly funny Terry Bradshaw and Kathy Bates) would love for him to just move out. While hanging out with some neighbors and seeing how happy they are without their son, Al and Sue decide to finally push him out of the house. Now instead of asking him to get a place of his own, they hire a woman that does this thing for a living. Enter Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker). They “meet” in a furniture store and begin dating. Soon Paula is falling for Tripp. Hell, she even sleeps with him which technically makes her a prostitute. Thanks Mom and Dad! My parents just threw my stuff out on the lawn.

Soon Paula is starting to feel guilty (of course), but before she can tell Tripp she gets busted by one of Tripp’s friends working over another guy. Tripp eventually finds out and is upset. Can Paula work things out with Tripp? Oh, the suspense is killing me. Please forgive her Tripp! Please…..

Who cares really? The plot is paper thin, and frankly I never felt any connection between Tripp and Paula. Nothing about their relationship was plausible or realistic. Hell, he was all about breaking up with her in one part of the movie before he even found out about what she does for a living. Now from all this the movie should get a 1 can right? Well, no. There were funny moments scattered throughout the movie. They just made no sense as to why they were in the movie. Tripp’s friend Ace (Justin Bartha) and Paula’s friend Kit (the always funny and cute Zooey Deschanel) have a potential love going on, Kit battles a mockingbird that is outside her window throughout the movie, animals seem to attack Tripp at all times and there are other moments of slapstick humor. Again these are funny moments, but just were odd in a movie like this.

Overall the movie was cute. That is the word, cute. Cute, illogical with humorous moments scattered throughout. The plot is nothing new, and it becomes quite predictable. If you are looking for a romantic movie to watch with your other then there are many better ones out there. Hell, rent HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS. If you absolutely love Sarah Jessica Parker or Matthew McConaughey then you might enjoy this, but again while not a bad movie, it was a bad romantic comedy.

Added:  Wednesday, May 17, 2006

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