With a massively comedic cast and the backing of Judd Apatow, this movie had a lot of promise, so what went so wrong? Wanderlust ends up falling short on too many fronts. With writers Ken Marino and David Wain (Role Models) penning this, anyone walking into the theater expected a lot more. Don’t get me wrong, parts of the movie were quite sharp and witty but those parts weren’t consistent through the movie. This was one of those movies where you see all the best parts in the trailer (with some of those scenes not even making it into the final film).

Rudd and Aniston are a New York City couple who decide to join a “free love” rural commune where the shit hits the fan. Each gag of this highly unique idea is drawn out just slightly longer than it should. There’s a fine line between “awkward” and “over it” and Wanderlust has no idea where that line is. Especially when you have most of the cast of “The State” and “Wet Hot American Summer” together again you walk in the theater expecting great things. The short cameos of Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter ended up being the most enjoyable parts of the film. Wanderlust just tries too hard to be “wacky” and “off kilter”. I enjoyed each character individually but together, they never seemed to mesh.

I think the movie would have been better if the plot had been the slightest bit more believable. I understand that it’s not supposed to be the strongest point of a movie like this but a touch more realism might have held it together. Who knows, this may be a sleeper hit when it’s released on DVD like so many other movies of it’s kind. When people can enjoy this in the privacy of their homes and partake in activities that some would say “enhance” the viewing experience it may become a cult classic. I, for one, am hoping that is the case. Free Love and Peace

There’s always hope for “Wet Hot American Summer 2” to make up for Wanderlust’s shortcomings.

4 Friends out of 10

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