Looking for a good date movie? If you want to walk out fighting with your partner, then “Couples Retreat” is just the thing for you. Laced with very real problems that see no resolution, “Couples Retreat” has the facade of a romantic comedy, but what lies underneath is a film that is extremely uneven, uncomfortable and unsatisfying.

Written by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Dana Fox (whose only screenplays to date are 2008’s “What Happens In Vegas” and 2005’s “The Wedding Date”), and directed by Peter Billingsley, at first glance, “Couples Retreat” looks like it should be hilarious, and at some points it is.

There’s just such an abundance of scenes in the movie that fall flat, it’s almost like watching a battle of good versus terrible, with the two sides being evenly matched. Sadly, in this boxing match of scenes, the fight gets boring, and terrible leaves the ring with the belt.

The movie centers on a group of four couples, all of whom, whether they know it or not, are going through some sort of marital hiccup. Jason and Cynthia (Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell) are two geeks who realize that, after many failed attempts at bearing children, their marriage is falling apart and they must do something about it.

They find a tropical resort called Eden, which is renowned for repairing broken relationships. But they cannot afford the couple rate and must go with a group rate for the trip to be economically feasible. They invite their best friends, Dave and Ronnie (Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman), Joey and Lucy (Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis) and Shane and Trudy (Faizon Love and Kali Hawk).

Only when the couples get to the resort and, against their will, participate in couples’ therapy, are the insecurities in their relationships pointed out and magnified.

From there on out, it plays like a typical romantic comedy. There are some awkward physical scenes that would make any 4-year-old laugh, some fighting, some remorse, some more fighting and finally everyone is happy come the conclusion.

This movie offers nothing new to the world of cinema, but it’s not trying to, so we won’t fault it for that. What this movie is trying to do is be funny, and it is, but only when the male leads are on screen.

It’s obvious Vaughn and Favreau are behind this screenplay, seeing that the funniest parts of the film are when either of them is on screen, and the funniest moment of all is shared by the two.

Jason Bateman plays his part quite well, getting in some dry, witty lines here and there, and Love does a good job as the recently divorced, heartbroken friend. But when their female counterparts enter the frame, the humor just isn’t there. Malin Akerman didn’t feel right as the wife of Vaughn’s character Joey, and the awkwardness of this poor casting choice distracts throughout the film.

But when Vaughn and Favreau bicker at each other, you almost forget about the film’s myriad of flaws. Their back-and-forth is a pleasure to watch — the ranting and raving so natural it’s like watching two quick-witted brothers go at it. The film has the feeling that it was made solely for the purpose of getting the two together, with every other element a side note.

At 107 minutes, the film is far too long and could have easily been made shorter by taking out all the serious, humorless moments of couples’ therapy. Someone obviously made the decision to make this film a funny, good time, so when it gets serious, things get confusing and discomforting.

Ultimately, the only enjoyable moments of “Couples Retreat” are watching Vaughn and Favreau sound off, which unfortunately makes up only a fraction of the movie.

Everything else is just drab, uninspired filler that’s been done before.

Reach the reporter at pmelbour@asu.edu.