Grown Ups (PG-13, 2010)

GROWN UPS is one of those movies that looks great in trailers but ultimately disappoints. With a cast like this, it really ought to be a slam dunk. But it's hobbled by a lackluster script that has little at stake for the characters. And the jokes: Despite the fact that it stars five successful comedians, the same jokes are recycled throughout. How many bits do we really need about a nanny camouflaged as an exchange student, a grandmother's bunioned toe, a retiree's marriage to a much younger man, a man's voracious appetite, and a still-nursing 4-year-old?

The five leads share some chemistry, but not enough to make a lifelong friendship believable. They're so cruel to each other that you have to wonder how they stayed friendly. And the women are nothing more than weak supporting acts and fodder for chauvinistic jokes. The film does have a few nice moments -- the paper-cup extravaganza, the flashbacks -- and makes a good point about not giving up the best moments of childhood to gadgetry and gimmicks. But on the whole, Grown Ups is a stunted comedy.