In the middle of the film, the character Joy pulls away a sticker from her husband’s shirt reading ‘Joy’s B____’ and sticks it behind the dress of her colleague competitor for her promotion (who will undoubtedly be truly her b____ if Joy wins the position).  Much can be said of this scene, as it a hilarious moment though not much connected with propelling the main story of the film.  WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS is mostly hilarious with bouts of inspirational humor but its love tale as stale as last week’s loaf of bread.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS?  A wedding is what happens.  Strangers Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz) and Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) wed after a drunken spree.  They wish the marriage annulled but are forced to stay together in order to keep the $3 million jackpot money they had won.  It takes no genius to guess that the two will fall in love and after an obstacle or two hitch up happily ever after.

So far thumbs down for the idea and originality.  But writer Dana Fox (THE WEDDING DATE) and director Tom Vaughan (the little seen James McAvoy Brit comedy STARTER FOR 10) tells their story devoting equal time to the female and male parties.  The male audience will connect with Fuller’s bachelor untidiness though stereotyped behavior while the females will get their highs from watching Joy succeed in the commercial world.  The obstacle arrives in the form of Joy’s boss (Dennis Farina) who has to decide whether it is Joy or her Asian colleague who is the one to be promoted.

What can one expect from the over-tiresome well worn romantic comedy genre?  A new story?  A new angle?  A new ending?  Surely not!  As far as romantic comedies ( a dime a dozen these days) go, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS is successful entertainment for the prime reason that Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz make the almost perfect movie couple.  Their best friend sidekicks are winning and the film does generate quite sufficient (though silly) laugh-out loud moments.