"You, Me and Dupree" is, quite simply, one of the worst comedies of the year. The laughs are scarce, the performances are mediocre and the screenplay is a virtual train wreck. Oh well. It was either see this or see "Little Man" (review to come).

In this would-be laugh-fest, Owen Wilson plays Randy Dupree, a thirty-something slacker who moves in with his best friend Carl Peterson, a newly married businessman whose heart is so big, he can't tell his buddy no. Of course this is all much to the dismay of his fetching bride Molly (Kate Hudson) who wants to start a new life with the man of her dreams. When Dupree enters the scenario, the Peterson's life quickly becomes a nightmare.

If this whole scenario weren't obvious enough, we get a subplot involving Carl's doomed efforts to impress his new father-in-law (a seemingly bored Michael Douglas) by dazzling him with his real estate acumen. It seems the old man isn't at all impressed by his little girl's new husband. Wow! That's original.

"You, Me, and Dupree" stretches a mechanical sitcom formula well beyond it's welcome (sad given the movie was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo–these two have directed episodes of the stellar "Arrested Development"). It's clear from the outset that the moment Dupree moves in, it's going to put a massive strain on his best friend's marriage. And all this familiarity might have worked had the movie offered up sufficient laughs. Alas, it doesn't. It strains, and pushes awfully hard to get a chuckle, and as a result, everything feels forced.

The screenplay by Mike LeSieur goes from absurd to . . . absurder (I know that isn't even a real word, but seriously, nothing else captures the tone of the movie). There's even a point in the picture in which Carl thinks his wife might be having an affair with Dupree. Ridiculous! But more importantly, not funny.

"You, Me, and Dupree" features elements from this summer's The Break Up (there's even a scene in which a desperately discouraged Molly suggests that Carl lose some weight), only that movie looks like Citizen Kane by comparison. There's nothing amusing, realistic, or remotely interesting once Molly and Carl begin bickering in this picture. And trust me, there's plenty of arguing throughout the film.

Owen Wilson can be a charming guy (see "Bottle Rocket" or "Wedding Crashers"). As Dupree, he's expected to walk that fine line between charming and annoying (something his "Wedding Crashers" co-star Vince Vaughn excels at), but here, he's neither, really. He's just sort of there going through all the motions that the screenplay dictates. There's nothing organic or funny about him. Not that it could have slavaged this mess, but the film could have used someone edgier - Jack Black perhaps. Wilson is more suited for eccentric or light romantic comedy as opposed to the broad stuff - he was clearly out of his comfort zone during most of the film.

Matt Dillon is even worse as the straight man to Wilson's so-called funny guy. Dillon has proven to be effective in comedic films in the past (he cracked me up in "There's Something About Mary"), but as the dullard Carl, he not only overplays the proceedings, he almost appears like he doesn't want to be there. Likewise, Michael Douglas just sort of shows up as Molly's arrogant asshole of a father. Even the hilarious Seth Rogen (40 Year Old Virgin) isn't given an opportunity to deliver laughs. The only performer who really makes an effort is Kate Hudson, but I'm first to admit that I'm a big fan. A BIG, BIG, BIG FAN! She's cute, charming, and bubbly. What's more she has a smile that could light up a room. So yes, I supposed I'm biased, but whatever - she's hot!

Earlier in the review, I made a "Break Up" comparison, but what "You, Me, and Dupree" really reminded me of is the similarly titled Dennis Quaid/Rene Russo (no relation to Anthony and Joe) crap-fest "Yours, Mine and Ours". Both films are about a recently married couples whose relationships are threatened by children. Hell, even the final act of this picture has Dupree attempting to reuinte the couple he feels he's torn apart. Will he succeed? Take a wild guess.

In the end, I'm not really criticizing "You, Me, and Dupree" because of it's obvious, "been-there-done-that" nature. I'm criticizing it because it's supposed to be a comedy and it is just not funny.

Overall, 2006 has been a pretty lackluster year for comedies (with "Thank You For Smoking" being the only true exception to that claim), and "You, Me and Dupree" will do absolutely nothing to change the streak. Hopefully, "Clerks 2" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" will buck this awful trend.