logan j. fowler and bill bodkin debate the new Paul Rudd/Jennifer Aniston comedy …
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? Undecided.
Really torn on this one. I have stated in past Pop-Break pieces that I love Paul Rudd. And his latest movie, Wanderlust, shares some credits with a few people beyond Role Models, one of my favorite comedies featuring Rudd. But this trailer, despite the fact that I got a few chuckles out of it (mostly thanks to the guy I keep talking about here), didn’t do a whole lot for me, and as we all know, Jennifer Aniston is like a movie’s kryptonite. If you look at her track record, it’s pretty clear that the woman does more harm than help when she is in a flick. However, I may give this a shot come rental, only with the high hopes that the movie could pleasantly surprise me. Although, I’m really kind of peeved that they basically showed you the whole plot in the trailer. I mean, yeah, you would’ve predicted it anyway, but leave some stones unturned for the sake of the audience, will ya? Anyway, Wanderlust may be a bust, but I’ll decide whether or not to view it once it comes out on DVD.
— LJF
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? Rent.
There’s nothing about the trailer of Wanderlust that screams, ‘I’M HILARIOUS! SEE ME IN THE THEATER!’ First, much like my colleague, I do not like Jennifer Aniston in movies. She was good on Friends, but I haven’t seen her in a movie where I’ve ever thought she was funny … or likeable. From this trailer, there’s nothing that proves me to things are going to change. And frankly, she’s the main reason I don’t care to go see this film in theaters. Second, I gotta tell you the plot looks really predictable — two uptight yuppies go to a hippie commune, one of them cuts loose and lets their freak flag fly, to the dismay of the other. There’s a fight, their marriage is in peril and either A) they resolve their issues and remain happily ever after, or B) they break-up and find their true soulmate somewhere at the commune. Blah.
Now there are some bright spots. There’s Paul Rudd — who I’ve liked in everything I’ve seen him in, no matter how bad the movie. He’s definitely going to provide a lot of laughs. The supporting cast is littered with funny people (from Joe LoTruglio of Superbad, The State‘s Ken Marino and Key & Peele‘s Jordan Peele), so you know you’re getting some quality comedy here. And let’s not forget that LoTruglio and Marino have well worked with Rudd, especially in the hilarious Role Models.
So in the end this will be a decent movie, with some solid laughs, good for a rent.
— BB
