Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Wanderlust Blu-ray Movie Review

"I see your point, but I kind of value the sleeping pill and the Blackberry and the latte..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown June 13, 2012

Hippies, communes, nudists, free love, the troupe from The State, producer Judd Apatow, god-among-funny-men Paul Rudd... Wanderlust should be hilarious. Should being the operative word. Director David Wain has yet to really connect with wide audiences -- The State was canceled long before its time, cult fave Wet Hot American Summer fizzled, solid buddy comedy Role Models was quickly forgotten, Stella was misunderstood and unappreciated, and Children's Hospital, though more Rob Corddry's than Wain's, was just plain weird -- and his latest, much as the kids today love a good R-rated comedy, isn't going to appeal to the masses either. It isn't for lack of effort. Wain and co-writer Ken Marino have put together a script full of comedic gold, assembled an impressive cast, and have fun with the long-dead or dying conventions of romantic comedies. It isn't for lack of talent. Rudd and his co-stars are no strangers to improv, and Wain and Marino's eccentric naturalists are a diverse band of misfits and societal outcasts just itching for a few good laughs. And it isn't for lack of a hungry audience. R-rated comedies have made a killing at the box office in recent years, and filling seats with bored teens and unemployed college students has never been easier. So why does Wanderlust fall so flat? How is it that it all feels so familiar? So tired? So worn out?

Welcome to Elysium. Stay as long as you'd like.

When bickering, down-on-their-luck married couple George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) lose their jobs and New York City microloft, they move in with George's overbearing and obnoxious brother Rick (Ken Marino) and his martinis-before-lunch wife Marisa (Michaela Watkins). When that doesn't work out, they retreat to Elysium, a hippie commune... ahem, "intentional community" of vegans and free love proponents led by magnetic man of the Earth Seth (Justin Theroux) and owned by cantankerous vet named Carvin (Alan Alda). Happiness still doesn't come easy, though. Linda is initially reluctant but soon falls in love with the Elysium way of life; George is more eager to join but soon finds himself regretting his enthusiasm. A tempting vixen named Eva (Malin Åkerman) tries to lure him into bed, Seth takes a liking to Linda, and poor George has to deal with everyone from nude novelist Wayne (Joe Lo Truglio) to militant pacifist Karen (Kathryn Hahn), truth guide Kathy (Kerri Kenney-Silver), and out of touch pregnant newlyweds Almond (Lauren Ambrose) and Rodney (Jordan Peele). What's an out of work husband like George with a wandering wife like Linda to do?

It wasn't so long ago that Jennifer Aniston was the Next Big Thing. Television's reigning It girl. Hollywood's great anointed starlet. But that was ten years and a dozen middling comedies ago. Aniston managed to win raves in 2011 for her against-type turn as one of the horrible bosses in the deviously funny and aptly titled Horrible Bosses, but she was a distraction for some and the cast's weakest link for others (myself included). Fast forward to 2012. Sure enough, Aniston is ambling her way through yet another bad-girl comedy, playing against genre type as a wife willing to cheat on her husband and shirk responsibility, all while making cheap excuses about her decisions being good for their marriage. And, once again, it's Aniston that's out of her depth, stilted one minute, sullen the next, perky as a plank still after that. She isn't the only reeling actor either. Wanderlust unfolds like a series of strikeout sketches, and there's little to like about most of the freaks and recluses of Elysium. Rudd is a lovable loser as always, Theroux sneers, grins, and hams it up to decent effect, Lo Truglio walks away with every scene he strips his way into, and it's always good to see Alda working. But Aniston? Åkerman? Hahn? Kenney-Silver? Ambrose? The boys get the job done and have all the fun; the girls are either grating hipsters, overbearing harpies or glassy eyed hippies, sucking the life out of George, Elysium and Wanderlust in the process.

It's clear Wain and Marino have always been sketch comedy scribes at heart, but Wanderlust falls a few rungs lower than Role Models. The punchlines rarely live up to their premise, their nudist gags, city-boy inadequacies and drug-induced hallucinations would have seemed dated in 1998, the episodic stretches of the film are disjointed, and there really isn't anything to the story (other than the save the wild but wonderful nature refuge from the greedy Casino contractors shtick comedy fans have suffered through a hundred times before). There are laughs to be had, I'll admit. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. But substance? Wit? Surprises?Wanderlust is more of a grin and bear it rom-com -- with copious amounts of F-bombing and penis-dangling, of course -- than anything more clever, memorable or fresh. Yes, some of you will come away shaking your heads, not at Wain and company, but at any critic or gawking onlooker who didn't laugh themselves silly while watching George and Linda's misadventures in polyamorous love. And I would know. I'm usually one of the faithful few shaking my head after a Wain production, accusing anyone who criticizes the former State trouper's work of missing the point or just not getting the joke. (I can't even begin to tell you how many times I mounted a spirited defense of Stella in 2005. My wife still takes shots at it and I still rush to its aid.) Not this time, though. Wanderlust is a film best served out of a Redbox kiosk, and best purchased by those who already know if they're willing to call Elysium home.

Wanderlust Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Wanderlust's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer is sharper than its comedy, even though a mild, sun-drenched softness sometimes permeates the proceedings. Detail is still quite good, mind you -- with a fine veneer of pleasant grain, reasonably well-resolved textures and clean, lifelike edge definition -- but bronzed skintones, low lighting and earthy shadows take a small toll. Fortunately, there aren't any technical shortcomings to point to. Colors remain warm and natural throughout (even when rich oranges and yellows dominate the palette), primaries are strong, contrast is consistent, delineation is rather revealing, and crush is in very short supply. Better still, artifacting, banding, aliasing, ringing and other eyesores are nowhere to be found, and a few instances of negligible shimmering is the only issue remotely worth mentioning. Wanderlust's high definition image may not drop many jaws, but its lovely, true-to-its-source transfer will impress nonetheless.

Wanderlust Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's no mistaking Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track as belonging to anything other than a low-brow comedy. Dialogue is clear, bright and punchy, not to mention the obvious focus of Wanderlust's chatty, front-heavy sound design. The rear speakers are mainly relegated to supporting Craig Wedren's poppy music, the ambience of Elysium's forest wanderland, and the occasional directional effect. None of it should be discounted or dismissed -- Elysium is brimming with light, airy activity that initially makes the commune that much more alluring and, eventually, that much more absurd -- but it isn't all that remarkable either. Low-end output is a tad subdued as well, although a variety of gags, falls, car crashes and drug trips take greater advantage of the LFE channel. None of that is to suggest that there's anything wrong with the film's lossless mix -- there isn't -- there just isn't that much to comment on other than the proficiency and finesse of the track. Ultimately, there isn't really anything to complain about. Comedy fans visiting Elysium for the first time will feel right at home.

Wanderlust Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary: "I want to say something interesting. Does anyone have any questions?" Paul Rudd, producer/director/co-writer David Wain and producer/co-writer Ken Marino provide a semi-decent overview of the film (after a slow, awkward start), but it's guest impressionist Kevin Pollak that (after his own slow start) makes the trio's rather dry commentary a bit more bearable. I say "a tad" because Pollak -- who trots out Albert Brooks, Woody Allen, Al Pacino, William Shatner, Bill Clinton and other notable celebrities -- never really cuts loose, remains silent for the majority of the track, and doesn't deliver the laugh-out-loud lines that tend to frequent his impressions.
• Wanderlust: The Bizarro Cut (HD, 80 minutes, Dolby Digital 2.0): As Wain and Marino explain it, "what you're about to see is a complete version of our movie Wanderlust, but it's been totally re-edited so that it's made up almost entirely of material that's not found in the real version of the film. It's alternate lines, jokes, deleted scenes, outtakes... stuff that was too silly, too absurd. So definitely watch the real movie, if you haven't already, then sit back and relax and enjoy the Bizarro Cut."
• God Afton! Behind the Scenes of Wanderlust (HD, 27 minutes): More serious, respectable and extensive than you might expect, this making-of documentary digs into the film's script, story, characters, casting, performances, production and, yes, on-set hilarity.
• Penis Envy (HD, 8 minutes): This tongue-in-cheek mockumentary follows actor Joe Lo Truglio as he deals with the pressures and emotional turmoil of wearing a prosthetic penis.
• Line-O-Rama (HD, 9 minutes): A rapidfire montage of alternate lines.
• Wainy Days: Elysium (HD, 9 minutes): A short film starring Wain and the residents of Elysium.
• The Elysium Campaign (HD, 6 minutes): Jordan Peele impersonates President Obama.
• Gag Reel (HD, 6 minutes): A string of outtakes, some amusing, some not so amusing.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 3 minutes)

Wanderlust Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wanderlust runs out of steam the further and further it drifts into absurd territory. It isn't edgy and it isn't all that sweet; it isn't daring and it isn't all that safe; it isn't derivative and it isn't all that different from other R-rated comedies, at least those that aren't smitten with shock and awe tactics. Still, I have a soft spot for David Wain, Ken Marino and every other State castaway, and they always manage to earn a few laughs from me. (Stella!) If you don't enjoy yourself, though, you won't be able to blame Universal's Blu-ray release. With a strong video transfer, a solid DTS-HD Master Audio track, and more than three hours of (admittedly hit-or-miss) special features, anyone willing to spend a few nights with the Elysium residents won't have much to complain about.