Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) is a thirty something guy who still lives with his parents. Tripp has a job, drives a nice car, dates a lot of girls, but chooses to live with his parents. His parents Sue & Al (Kathy Bates & Terry Bradshaw) set up a plan to get him out of the house. They hire a young beautiful women Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker) to swoop in, seduce Tripp, and get him to move out. The only problem is...she isn't supposed to fall in love.

Tripp and his two friends Ace and Demo (Justin Bartha & Bradley Cooper) actually spend a lot of time together, while Paula spends quite a bit of time with her roommate Kit. This is quite unlike most chick-flicks, where the entire movie is centered on the two people falling in love. We see Tripp and his friends go out rock climbing, surfing, mountain biking, and even paintball adventures. This definitely keeps enough "manly" action and comedy in the film to keep most everyone entertained the whole time. Yes, there is some stupid off-kilter comedy, but in the end it doesn't affect the entertainment value of "Failure to Launch."

The best part about "Failure to Launch" is that director Tom Dey did a great job in the casting department. He picked some great actors and actresses for the parts. For example; Kit (Zooey Deshanel), Paula's roommate, plays a high-strung women with some interesting mood swings and opinions. Zooey fits into Kit's shoes perfectly and even is able to bring out the same cute side that we saw in "Elf." Then we have Tripp and his friends Ace and Demo. Matthew McConaughey loves roles where he can be outside...have his shirt off...and do athletic stuff. Well, this was the movie for him, and his friends also get to be out enjoying the outdoors. Sarah Jessica Parker slides nicely into her role as Paula. Paula is someone that is very professional, and doesn't really make mistakes. Sarah Jessica Parker shines as she is able to put her charm and vitality into Paula.

"Failure to Launch" is witty, charming, cute...and entertaining. I had a great time sitting down with my wife, and enjoying a nice romantic comedy that honestly had plenty of "fun," so as to not make me feel like I was watching any old sappy love story.

The DVD

Video:

Here we get a very nice transfer with especially good greens, blues, and reds. I don't know what it was with these three colors, but they we absolutely terrific throughout the movie. They definitely weren't the only good colors, but they just seemed to pop more than the others did. The skin tones were very nice, with a good consistent palate of colors, and the amount of details was good, though not amazing. You could see some really nice detail, mainly in outdoor scenes, but it didn't blow me away. There was a presence of a little grain, but nothing too extreme and nothing to make you not enjoy the movie. Overall, a very nice release with great vibrant colors that is very easy on the eyes.

Sound:

Presented with a 5.1 Dolby Digital track, "Failure to Launch" is pretty much all dialogue. The dialogue is very strong and crisp, leaving us with a well-understood and steady dialogue track. The soundtrack is nice, and plays along with the movie very well. Unfortunately, the use of surrounds was lacking, and we really didn't hear a lot of ambient noises in the background that could have immersed us into the film more.

Extras:

Casting Off: The Making of Failure to Launch: Here is a short feature with most of the cast & crew, talking about the plot, character relationships...and lots of recap clips from the movie. Like I said, this is short, it is an okay watch.

The Failure to Launch Phenomenon: This is a weird feature from real-life people (twixters) who are still living with their parents. There are cast & crew interviews mixed with "professionals" and the real-life "kids" and their parents. The all focus on one thing...living at home.

Dating in the New Millenium: Here is a mixture of different professionals from websites, magazines, books...on and on...talking about how dating has changed now, and what possibilities are out there when it comes with dating in the new Millennium.

Moviefone.com Unscripted with Matthew & Terry: This is kind of fun to hear Matthew and Terry just kicking it, relaxing, and talking about anything really. Some of the questions are scripted and some are not.

The Failure to Launch Contest: Here we get 3 finalists from a Myspace.com contest...who happen to still live at home with their parents...as they are asked questions to see who will get a place to stay with 6 months of FREE rent! Well it isn't that exciting...but all you get to find out who wins. Nothing more...no "here is your new place"..."what is your life like now that you're on your own." Just "you win." Oh boy.

Final Thoughts:

"Failure to Launch" is a lot of fun. Matthew McConaughey & Sarah Jessica Parker really hit it off on-screen and make for a great fun filled adventure. Even with a somewhat cheesy plot and stupid humor, it has some well-acted main characters and a fun supporting cast. "Failure to Launch" makes for a great date movie. On top of that, we get a great video transfer and a good audio track. Unfortunately, the features are pretty much a letdown, but don't let that hold you back. I Recommend this to anyone looking for a nice date flick.