Wanderlust MOVIE REVIEW

Wanderlust is the latest film from director David Wain, known for his cult-favorite comedies like Wet Hot American Summer and the TV show Stella.  The movie follows a New York couple, played by Paul Rudd and Jennifer Anniston, who buys their first apartment.  Unfortunately both of them lose their jobs right after they buy it and are forced to resell - but there's no interest in the market for a studio apartment (or as the realtor is insistent on calling it a 'micro-loft').  While they are making the trip to crash at his brother's house due to their recent homelessness, they find the closest motel through their GPS and shack up at a hippie commune.  Once living at his brother's house becomes unbearable, Rudd and Anniston decide to give the tree-huggers another go, and the rest of the film boils down to a series of hippie-related gags.

I really wish more of the jokes landed in this film because the few that work really work.  Paul Rudd's mirror scene is totally hilarious and the strong cast of familiar comic faces help to make this thinly plotted film enjoyable.  In a comedy like this I don't even really care that much about plot, as long as something resembling one is there to move the jokes forward; Wanderlust does have that at least.  The problem is that the good jokes are too few and far between - they really needed an Airplane! style, rapid fire joke assembly line.  I appreciate Aniston's recent foray into R-Rated comedies (she was also funny in Horrible Bosses) and there are some scattered moments of inspired material, but I doubt this film will live a life beyond playing in the background on Comedy Central for the next 10 years.

Rating: C