Failure to Launch

PG-13

Released Mar 10, 2006

1h 37m

Romance

Comedy

TRAILER

for Failure to Launch: Trailer 1

List

23%

Tomatometer

151 Reviews

52%

Audience Score

250,000+ Ratings

A young man (Matthew McConaughey) continues to live at the home of parents who, in desperation to push him out of the nest once and for all, hatch a plan. They hire a beautiful woman (Sarah Jessica Parker) to entice him to assume the mantle of responsibility and get his own place.

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Critics Consensus

The few comic gags sprinkled throughout the movie fail to spice up this formulaic rom-com.

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Tim Grierson

Screen International

Verging on the preposterous, director Tom Dey's Failure To Launch relies on attractive stars to overcome its lackluster execution.

Jul 23, 2008

Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

The movie's notion of humor is exemplified by Bradshaw's extended nude scene.

Dec 18, 2006

Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek

Salon.com

As listless and phony as Failure to Launch may be, it does have one secret weapon in Zooey Deschanel.

Oct 7, 2006

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

A strange idea for a romantic comedy results in quite a strange film. Not much to like about the main plot, but some fun to be had on the fringes.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 11, 2020

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

It's a comedy of errors.

Rated: 1.0/4.0

Sep 7, 2020

Full Review

Alberto Abuín

Espinof

A very weak film in which very few things are good. [Full Review in Spanish]

Feb 12, 2020

Full Review

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Daniel G

OK, the joke is obvious - this movie failed to launch, though it was pleasant most of the time. In fact, it was just a minor romcom with major actors a bit before their prime (Matthew McConnaughey, Bradley Cooper) and little chemistry between the romantic pairs, especially Matthew and Sarah Jessica Parker. Brazilians will understand: it was a bit like a Globo movie - nice-looking people and very little depth. And I really didn't understand what exactly the consultant Sarah was trying to achieve or how to get the guy to leave his parents' home.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/06/24

Full Review

Nitsan F

So dumb I couldn't get through the first 5 minutes.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/24

Full Review

Munkhchimeg T

Wish to same thing happen to meee hha, very good rom-com

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/20/24

Full Review

Zazoo909 C

Neither a romance nor a comedy - EXCEPT for brief, breathless seconds of joy with Zooey Deschanel. This thing is so excruciating, you gotta wonder how these actors' careers even survived. How many date nights went limp after after this torture of cliches? The acting's fine, but the writing drags it all down like shoes of concrete.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/31/23

Full Review

William F

I thought the movie was funny and interesting, WAY better than No Hard Feelings, which was sort of about the same thing, but was boring. Yes, there were some parts of the movie that were overdone, like the big scene in the bar near the end, but the dialogue was sharp and had a lot of funny lines. It kept my interest, and I really don't understand why the critics didn't like it. ALL rom-coms are formulaic, but some are good and most aren't.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

Full Review

R 9

A simply OK film, though the last 20/30 minutes or so does drag a tad. Matthew McConaughey is good, Sarah Jessica Parker is good, the support cast (which includes an early role of Bradley Cooper's) are good. I didn't overly enjoy what I was watching, but I wasn't particularly bored with it either. I don't really have much to say about it in truth. At around 90 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome. That makes it a watchable, if slightly forgettable, flick from 2006 in my books.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Tom Dey

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Tripp

Sarah Jessica Parker

Paula

Zooey Deschanel

Kit

Justin Bartha

Ace

Bradley Cooper

Demo

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Failure to Launch: Official Clip - Emotional Crisis Stage