Following an incredible consumption of alcohol and an error with room assignments at the hotel, the two parties hook up, paint the town every shade of liquor bottle imaginable and predictably Jack and Joy wake up with no recollection of their nuptials just hours before. They quickly realize the error of their ways, loudly agree that they are not meant for each other and one of them inserts a coin into a slot machine, all of a sudden making their separation three million times more complicated.

There are moments in the film that do get a laugh and carry your attention yet I just found the chemistry between Kutcher and Diaz lacking, the storyline overly simplistic, predictable and lacking substance. It is 99 minutes of mindless entertainment, perfect for a Saturday night pick at the local video store yet disappointing in the big screen format. I think it will do well in a few short months on DVD once all the bonus features are added. If you do take a chance on it, stay through the credits on this film for some of the better timed comedy, not sure why these bits weren’t added to the body of the film during editing.

As far as your movie going dollars are concerned I’d suggest saving them for the big screen adaptation of Sex and the City opening in wide release this weekend.

I actually saw this film a couple weeks ago but was dreadfully uninspired to write about it. What Happens in Vegas is certainly a better option than staying home with a toothache or doing your taxes but it fails to inspire any gut busting laughter or convince you that Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher have any chance of becoming the next Bogie and Bacall. There is nothing better than the occasional romantic comedy and popcorn combo to make all the bland moments of your week disappear yet this movie just didn’t do the trick.
What Happens in Vegas stars Diaz as Joy McNally, an incredible well organized and successful stock broker who finds herself dumped by her equally successful, upper class fiancé just as they start to plan their future together. One of the few highlights of the film is the role of Tipper, played by Lake Bell, as her always dependable friend. Tipper suggests the trip to Las Vegas to drown her friend’s sorrows at the slot machines and clubs. Bell has a good amount of comic timing and can turn on the charm at all the right times and in my opinion she is highly underused in the industry. As this is happening we are also watching the Ashton Kutcher character, Jack Fuller, as he gets fired from his job in the family carpentry business, a job he has never taken seriously despite an immense talent for it. Fuller’s friend named Hater decides that Vegas is the perfect location for his pal to forget about the recent firing and they too head for Sin City.