FAILURE To Launch is a pretty lame rom-com which more or less does what it says on the tin. Matthew McConaughey stars as a 30-something bachelor who rather enjoys his relaxed lifestyle, still living with his parents, being waited on hand and foot and havi

FAILURE To Launch is a pretty lame rom-com which more or less does what it says on the tin.

Matthew McConaughey stars as a 30-something bachelor who rather enjoys his relaxed lifestyle, still living with his parents, being waited on hand and foot and having no responsibilities whatsoever.

The trouble is his parents (Kathy Bates and ex-American football star Terry Bradshaw) want rid of him so they can get on with their own lives. So they hire Sarah Jessica Parker to come along and woo their son, tempting him to move out of the old family home.

Add in Zooey Deschanel as Parker's pal and you're in pretty familiar territory.

There are likeable things about Failure To Launch.

McConaughey may be his usual bland self but Parker is quite sparky and Bates and Deschanel make a positive contribution.

But overall the film is patchy - the tone is never all that clear, veering from slightly puerile to fairly sophisticated and there just aren't enough sharp lines or funny moments.

The other thing is that it's difficult to believe in the characters. Parker seems a bit old to be used in this way and most 30-somethings who live with their parents are likely to be more socially inadequate, hygienically challenged and, above all, fatter than McConaughey, who doesn't seem to have suffered any ill effects from over indulgence in home cooking.