What Happens in Vegas 2008

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: What Happens in Vegas, one of those junky time-wasters that routinely pop up in movie theaters, won't make you laugh much or at all. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: The felicitous pairing of Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher overcomes the mechanical setup of this amiable screwball comedy about mismatched Manhattanites who wed in Las Vegas following a drunken first date. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: What Happens in Vegas... should have stayed in development -- forever. This ramshackle -- and occasionally repulsive -- farce doesn't even deliver on the minimal promise of its title; most of it takes place in Manhattan. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: We all know what happens in Vegas -- and we know, without having to watch it, what happens in this movie. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: What happens in Vegas is exactly what you would expect: It's formulaic, slapsticky, silly and loud, until it goes all gooey in the end. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: Complain all you want about the affable slobs in Judd Apatow comedies; at least they're not tools. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: What Happens in Vegas . . . should have stayed in Vegas. Or in New York, where most of this predictable, uninspired film takes place. Or in Hollywood, where such lamebrained ideas are hatched. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: When it was over I felt vaguely embarrassed. I wasn't just leaving a movie theater. I was taking a walk of shame. Read more

Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times: What Happens in Vegas feels oddly stilted yet desperate, as though its principals felt the need to overcompensate for the too-neat symmetry of opening scenes with over-the-top violence and bright orange tans. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: So many things, small and large, erode any sense of fun here. The movie looks like crud -- like it, too, stayed up and drank all night. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: It was inevitable that an annoying catchphrase would one day become the title for an annoying movie. What Happens in Vegas is not only annoying, it's also incompetent -- a bad mix. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Who knew the title wasn't simply clever (inviting the rejoiner 'stays in Vegas') but a dire warning of a bad movie ahead? Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz almost pull off Vegas despite everything. And there's quite a bit of everything. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz hate on each other with dynamite verve in What Happens in Vegas. Read more

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: I didn't laugh much, and I never felt even an inkling of 'aw, cute!' romance -- but I didn't want to claw my eyes out, either. If that counts as a success, then I guess it's a hit. Read more

Julia Wallace, L.A. Weekly: The stars, despite having only a fraction of the charm and talent of classic sparring-but-meant-for-each-other duos, know how to mug for the camera and well up on cue, and somehow that turns out to be enough to carry this trifle. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: The latest uptight chick/slacker dude romantic comedy is so formulaic, you could win big if you placed bets on what's going to happen next. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: What Happens in Vegas contains enough unbridled silliness to salvage its lowbrow high concept. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It's called What Happens in Vegas, but it should have been called What Happens in Hollywood as it pretty much defines contrived studio comedy. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: While Diaz and Kutcher make their cliched characters as likable as possible, you can bet on this: Any movie named after an already-stale ad campaign isn't likely to gamble on the unexpected. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: For an idea of the level of wit, several gags are built around the name 'Dick Banger'. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Screenwriter Dana Fox (the dreadful Wedding Date was hers) and director Tom Vaughan can't find much fun or romance in this. What Happens in Vegas ... offers none of the surprises that screen comedy so desperately needs. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: What Happens in Vegas . . . boasts the not inconsiderable appeal of good-looking people having a good time -- even while having a bad time. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Sadly, about the nicest thing I can say about What Happens in Vegas is that I didn't hate it -- although I suppose that's something. Read more

Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon.com: You'd think the combination of Diaz, Kutcher and Vegas would be good for at least a little sexy, silly fun. But don't bet on it. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: Considering that the title of the movie was conceived by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, it's not a huge surprise that What Happens in Vegas is stocked with product placement. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: By being a smidge smarter than the average date movie, it makes the first-time meeting, the battle of the sexes and the bumpy course of true love entertaining despite overfamiliarity. Read more

Bill Zwecker, Chicago Sun-Times: Though likely not a film you'll remember a month after seeing it, it does hit most of the right notes for a good date flick. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: What Happens in Vegas should damn well have stayed in Vegas. Instead, the thing has leaked out as a movie that, one grey morning this week, swiped 100 minutes from my life. Read more

Philip Marchand, Toronto Star: Here's a romantic comedy that is goofy, highly implausible, sometimes over the top, often in bad taste, and resolutely empty-headed. In short, it's the best example of its genre to appear on the screen this year. Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: Why do we have to suffer through movies like What Happens in Vegas, which is the worst-in-breed not only for this year, but very likely in living memory. Read more

Stephen Garrett, Time Out: Read more

Anna Smith, Time Out: Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: What Happens in Vegas refuses to take a gamble. Like a bleary-eyed gambler repeatedly tossing a pair of dice, it tiredly goes through the motions. Read more

Joe Leydon, Variety: There are no big surprises, and only a handful of unexpected developments. But Kutcher and Diaz are undeniably appealing...nd the scene-stealing supporting players...go about their petty larceny with amusing adroitness. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: Not that What Happens in Vegas is any kind of great movie, but it's an exceedingly bright comedy that never makes you feel stupid for enjoying its brisk pacing, smart lines, sound construction and superb comic acting. Read more