Failure to deviate

In the tradition of great, mindless romantic comedies, "Failure to Launch" falls right in place.

Judging by director Tom Dey's previous endeavors, "Showtime" and "Shanghai Noon," he has no intention of veering off the path of lightweight comedy.

Matthew McConaughey ("How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days") plays Trip, who is set up with Paula played by Sarah Jessica Parker ("Sex and the City"). There are also great performances by Kathy Bates ("Misery") and former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw as Trip's pushy parents, Sue and Al.

Trip is a great catch for any girl but he is the typical afraid-to-commit guy, for a not-so typical reason.

After a devastating end to a relationship six years ago, Trip is still living with his parents. It's pathetic. Paula calls it "failure to launch." Either way, he is stuck in a rut and his parents decide to take matters in their own hands.

Trip's parents hire the beautiful Paula to pretend to date their son and convince him to move out. Keeping with the genre of mindless romances, this frivolous scam comes to fruition as Trip falls for Paula.

In an unlikely plot twist Trip brings Paula home, which in Trip's mentality should automatically lead to a breakup - Trip's psychological response to signs of a committed relationship.

There are surefire laughs every time Trip gets together with his two best friends, Demo (Bradley Cooper of "Wedding Crashers") and Ace (Justin Bartha of "National Treasure"). The guys start their misadventures with a dirt bike ride that ends with Trip getting a vicious chipmunk bite.

Adding to the random humor, Trip is also bitten by a dolphin and a vegetarian lizard. Demo says that since Trip's life is not balanced by nature, nature is rejecting him.

Even though it's a movie about love, the ridiculous episodes with animals are there to remind the audience that "Failure to Launch" is strictly a comedy at its core.

A second romance begins when Ace becomes interested in Paula's self-absorbed best friend, Kit, played by Zooey Deschanel ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"). Kit has wild mood swings and is disturbed by a mockingbird whose song is keeping her from catching zzz's.

The plot is predictable and the ending is no surprise. It is a typical romantic comedy very much like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," "50 First Dates," and countless others. Guy meets girl (or the other way around) they cannot fall in love due to various plot twists, and eventually (insert fanfare here) love prevails.

But, there is more to the film than a good laugh. There are scenic sailing scenes and a naked Terry Bradshaw (no frontal, thank God).

Sitting back and enjoying a simple movie is sometimes a good thing because it allows you to relax your mind and shed your intellect for 97 minutes.

"Failure to Launch" fails to make any impact. It isn't a motivational piece about growing up, moving out and gaining independence, or one that shows the true advantage of overcoming obstacles. Rather, it's an average, moderately entertaining romantic comedy that will entertain its target audience.

Like a half-hour sitcom, this movie has everything neatly tied up in the end. Other than sneaking in a few more laughs, there is nothing left to be said as the final credits roll.