What Happens In Vegas

Who doesn’t love a good ‘rom-com’? What Happens In Vegas stars Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz. The two play New Yorkers Jack Fuller and Joy McNally; both going through a bit of a rough patch in their lives. After losing his job, a dejected Jack heads to Las Vegas with his sidekick Hater (Rob Corddry) for a weekend of mindless fun. Meanwhile, Joy  also escapes to Vegas with her best friend, Tipper (Lake Bell) to get over being dumped by her fiancee. The foursome serendipitously meet and proceed to enjoy a night filled with drunken debauchery. And what’s Vegas if there isn’t a shotgun wedding at the chapel? The next day Jack and Joy discover they’ve gotten hitched. After failing to discuss their how to handle the predicament, Jack hits the jackpot using Joy’s quarter on the slots. With both claiming the jackpot is theirs, a judge freezes the money and sentences them to 6 months to work on their marriage.

What follows is a series of funny events as Jack and Joy cook up ways to backstab each other and get their hands on the money. Somewhere in between, of course the two somehow fall in love with each other. Think How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days and The Break-Up. Although the storyline has been done to death and is predictable as The Bold and The Beautiful, it’s still one of those movies you’d watch just because it makes you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And if you look beyond the glossy surface that is Ashton Kutcher’s perfect body, you’ll realize the story actually touches on some pretty deep life philosophies like finish what you start, believing in yourself and being true to yourself.

Clichés aside, Ashton Kutcher has never looked this good and his acting is still top notch 70’s Show quality. Cameron Diaz looks a little worse for wear in some scenes, even so she manages to bring a vulnerability and likeability to her character. Lake Bell almost steals the whole movie as Diaz’s snarky, sarcastic and scarily violent best friend. Her angsty banter with the equally obnoxious Hater, is extremely amusing and both pull off the punch lines with precision. Queen Latifah’s role is short but memorable while Michelle Krusiec, who plays Chongers was the token workaholic Asian provided some comic hilarity to the film. If you’re going to see this flick, stick around for the credits for a short clip of Jack and Joy’s wedding. Apparently, Cameron and Ashton were actually drunk during the scene because they wanted to make it look believable. It’s definitely a fun date movie for those looking for a light hearted romantic comedy.

Cast Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kuther, Lake Bell, Rob Corddry, Treat Williams, Queen Latifah Director Tom Vaughan Runtime 99 mins Opens 8 May

Text Didi Ramlan