They were, in the film’s catchphrase, the “money”.

Fast forward 13 years and the same pair are bellyaching about the price of kitchen tiles and telling teenage daughters off for leaving the house wearing too little. What happened?

Peter Billingsley’s lacklustre comedy, written by the duo, shows the difficulties comedians have in growing old entertainingly. Here’s the idea: four couples, one divorced, two thinking about it, head off to a paradise island in search of some R&R. What they get is a week’s intensive couples therapy under the tutelage of a weirdo Frenchman (Jean Reno) and other oddball instructors.

The course involves the couples talking at length about their problems, bickering with each other and getting into scrapes. Sounds like fun? I didn’t think so either, and so it turns out.

The only laugh out loud moment comes from Ken Jeong, playing one of the counsellors. Jeong, funnily enough, was also one of the many highlights of The Hangover, still this year’s best comedy.

There’s a lesson in The Hangover for every comedy, and it’s not to employ Ken Jeong whenever possible. Todd Phillips’ picture worked because it had strong, likeable characters having a bad time in ways that gave audiences a non-stop good time. In Couples Retreat everyone, for most of the movie, is just having a bad time.

Vince and Jon can still talk up a hurricane, though. They needn’t put themselves out to comedy grass just yet. But next time, guys, lighten up a little. In comedy, that’s always the money.

Couples Retreat (15)

**

Dir: Peter Billingsley

With: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau,

Jason Bateman