A Review by Phil Calabro
2006, Paramount Pictures, Dir. Tom Dey - Starring Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Bartha, Kathy Bates, Terry Bradshaw, Bradley Cooper, Tyrell Jackson Williams, Katheryn Winnick, Rob Corddry, Stephen Tobolowsky
After watching 'Failure to Launch', I didn't know how to categorize it. Its outer appearance is a simple 'chick flick' (despite my hatred of that term), but its sense of humor is that of a teenage boy. It combines kisses and slapstick, romance and juvenile comedy - a movie that despite its advertising, can attract more than one type of audience. That isn't to say that its versatility makes its a decent film, as 'Failure to Launch' is still a flawed love story. It houses a number of amusing performances, but still lacks pacing and tends to drag at places. 'Launch' has its share of excessive silliness (and unnecessary nudity, despite the laughs it garners), but what director Tom Dey's film lacks is an interesting main couple. Those who have read my reviews in the past know my dislike of Sarah Jessica Parker's acting ability, but here she proves to be an equally over-obsessive, egotistical character despite her character not needing to be one. McConaughey and her fizzle rather than sizzle, despite their supporting characters upstaging them in every round. 'Failure to Launch' is intermittently humorous, and lets down when it comes to that magical four-letter word: L-O-V-E.
Tripp (McConaughey) lives the perfect life (to some, at least). He still lives under the roof of his parents, gets free food, dates beautiful women, and works on yachts. And whenever he gets tired of the woman he's dating, he can just bring them to his house, leaving them disgusted by his lifestyle. But not only are the women bothered by his living with his parents, but so are his mom and dad (Bates, Bradshaw). So mom and dad have decided to do the drastic: hire an intervention. This intervention is Paula (Parker), who is paid to get housebroken men out their parents' houses by engaging in a relationship with them. But when Paula and Tripp hit it off well, causing to break Paula's "no-sex" rule, both have second opinions. Tripp becomes suspicious of Paula's reasons to continue the relationship, and brings her "home" - only to have her not bothered by his immature living quarters. But when Tripp's friend Ace (Bartha) learns of Paula's job, he wants to crack a deal - keep him quiet by setting him up on a date with her roommate Kit (Deschanel), a cynical single woman with an incessant mockingbird problem outside her window. (Long story.)
I've never heard McConaughey sound so much like his 'Wooderson' character from 'Dazed and Confused' than I have in 'Failure to Launch'. He even goes as far to say his catchphrase 'alright, alright' to associate with audiences. Of the main couple, he is the least annoying, as he is a lovable lunkhead whose ego is inappropriately labelled by every other character in the film. Sarah Jessica Parker runs around in circles with the character of Paula, a tired and frantic character who never seems to stop talking. She is self-absorbed, and tirelessly played by Parker with little spark whatsoever. The final scene between the two main characters is as pathetic as they get, passing the breaking point of laughability and sheer stupidity. Two well-known actors paired together in a room to confess everything - a cliche, and a dreadful one to watch as well. The winning performances come from Justin Bartha and Zooey Deschanel, who appeared more adept to the type of humor the film is given. Both are simply hilarious characters, adding a different perspective to the movie that is so desperately needed. Terry Bradshaw and Kathy Bates also make hilarious, yet sometimes unnecessary appearances. When you get the biggest laugh from a shot of Bradshaw's naked rear end, what is that saying? It didn't work for Terrence Stamp in 'The Boss' Daughter', that's for sure.
The type of humor of 'Launch' is atypical for a romance film - animal attacks, falling down cliffs, giving mouth-to-mouth to a bird, and other mishaps are the types of laughs received. Tom Dey isn't a Farrelly brother, and 'Failure to Launch' isn't 'Something About Mary'. However, the film does have heart. Despite the lack of chemistry between Parker and McConaughey, the audience does care about the characters - they are all interesting yet bizarre people. Whether or not they have their hands bitten by dolphins, or their father has turned their bedroom into the house's official "Naked Room" (Bradshaw at his most surreal best), the story keeps the audience atuned. Eyes might roll, and some awkward cheers may be called for, but 'Failure to Launch' is not a tiring movie in the least. It does, however, take quite a while for the movie to reach its end - the finale, as mentioned earlier, is laughable and trite. The relationships broken at the end are kept on hold and never resolved until the last second, leaving the last quarter of the movie for them to wade in their own self-pity.
'Failure to Launch' entertains mildly, but its unpredictability in turn becomes its Achilles' heel. Tom Dey's direction does little with the half-weak, half-funny script, and just lets the main couple transform a potential winner into a humdrum break-up/make-up piece.
