Couples is so formulaic, so fake and relentlessly bland, it’s hard to care if any of these pairings get a divorce, drown or are eaten by sharks. It has neither the ring of truth nor the fun of fantasy.
Comment
10/20/09
Couples Retreat (2009)
12
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:143
Fresh:17
Rotten:126
Average Rating:3.6/10
Consensus: Despite a talented cast and some reliably pleasant interplay between Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat leaves viewers stranded in an arid, mirthless comedy.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating]
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:14-10-2009
Synopsis: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love star in Universal Pictures' upcoming comedy Couples Retreat. Based on an original idea of... [More]
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman, Malin Akerman
Director: Peter Billingsley
Reviews for Couples Retreat
Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, wrote the witless script, so have only themselves to blame.
10/20/09
The debutant director is done no favours by a screenplay from Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau which gives him little to play with and them few chances to shine as actors.
10/20/09
A rom-com short on romance and even shorter on laughs.
10/16/09
Top CriticThree of the four principal guys in this comedy are well over 15 stone - making them clinically obese by their body mass indexes. They need to lose weight not lessons in "couples skills building."
10/16/09
Expectations of farce are stymied by long stretches of mid-life navel gazing.
10/16/09
Top CriticRather like an unsuitable partner, Couples Retreat starts out fun before gradually getting annoying and then becoming downright aggravating. While it's not the worst film ever, there are times when it feels as irritating as sunburn.
10/16/09
Top CriticIt is this vanity, this overweening self-regard, that makes Couples Retreat such a chore to sit through.
10/16/09
Top CriticA loo book written by Pol Pot would have more laughs than this chillingly unfunny, cynically prefabricated non-comedy.
10/16/09
Top CriticThe only thing that will keep your attention for the duration is the stunning Tahitian scenery that acts the films setting. On reflection this is probably what swayed most of the cast to sign up to this inane guff of a film in the first place.
10/16/09
Entertainment on a par with sitting through your neighbours' holiday slideshow.
10/16/09
Universal’s latest is merely adequate, and will likely be best enjoyed by the happily indulgent and mildly inebriated.
10/16/09
About as much fun as having a holiday ruined by bickering, self-involved couples, this is one romcom you really should retreat from.
10/16/09
A trip to the innermost circle of comedy hell.
10/16/09
A comedy deserving to be buried up to its head in sand, drizzled in cooking oil and then left to fry until crispy.
10/16/09
Fewer laughs than the average episode of ITV’s Benidorm.
10/16/09
Sadly for us though, Favreau and Vaughn are likely to continue their profitable relationship for some time to come.
10/16/09
If it were a send-up of couples therapy and its absurd language the film would at least be about something, but it hasn't even that much intelligence.
10/16/09
The script for this comedy is so half-baked that we begin to wonder why it was made at all. Not only is it resolutely unfunny, but it never dips beneath a superficial examination of relationship cliches.
10/16/09
Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau further damage their credibility (though not their bank balances) with another lazy, underwritten comedy.
10/16/09
Latest News for Couples Retreat
October 12, 2009:
Watch RT This Week on Current TV
This week, The Rotten Tomatoes Show will be looking at the movies that opened over the weekend, with help from you (the Rotten Tomatoes community), the Current TV community, and... More...
October 11, 2009:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Couples Rule the Charts
Couples ruled the box office as Universal's Couples Retreat took top honors at the box office this weekend. But the real story was the low-budget horror entry from Paramount,... More...
October 09, 2009:
Couples Retreat Could Brighten Universal's Fall 
It's been buried beneath an avalanche of negative reviews, but as the only film opening in wide release this weekend, "Couples Retreat" still stands to post some decent numbers... More...
October 08, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Retreat From Couples Retreat
This week at the movies brings only one wide release: Couples Retreat, starring Vince Vaughn and Kristen Bell in a comedy about a group of friends in marriage counseling in a... More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 98% | Tulpan | 13/11 |
| 85% | We Live in Public | 13/11 |
| 76% | Cold Souls | 13/11 |
| 70% | Love the Beast | 13/11 |
| 51% | Taking Woodstock | 13/11 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds