Being a long time fan of Ben Stiller it's been disheartening to see his talent wasted on subpar material. After sitting through the disastrous black-comedy misfire Duplex, I was truly hoping he might redeem himself here - though the trailers didn't make it appear likely. While Along Came Polly isn't "Duplex bad" by any means, it's pretty mediocre fare - particularly when you consider the sum total of the talent on board for this forgettable but occasionally entertaining bit of date-flick fluff.

As for Stiller, he's played the hapless foil of dating mayhem better (see There's Something About Mary, Meet The Parents) and a much more compelling turn as a heartbroken control freak (The Royal Tenenbaums) still there are moments where his comic timing and physical game get him through it. As you already know before you touch your popcorn, Stiller plays an omni-phobic risk analysis expert, whose job it is to worry; to calculate the probability of being hit by a cement truck while stooping in the street to pick up a banana peel.

We also know that he is going to meet and fall for Jennifer Aniston whom we know is his polar opposite - a Bohemian free spirit whose behavior flies in the face of his buttoned-down anal retentive world. Stand back here comes the comedy. What we don't know going in is that before Polly Comes Along, Stiller has already met the girl of his careful calculations (Debra Messing) and walked her causiously down the aisle. We also learn of his error in judgment right along with him as we see Messing messing around with a French Scuba instructor played by a nearly unrecognizable Hank Azaria. Hank has always been hit and miss for me, but his bizarre turn as the naked Honeymoon-wrecker is the most entertaining part of ACP.

We also don't know that the film is loaded with familiar favorites such as Alec Baldwin and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Both of whom are called upon to deliver parts of their performance with their backside. (After Cold Mountain, Hoffman is becoming type-cast as the character with gastro-intestinal issues.) Hoffman goes balls out as Stiller's best-friend and who can blame him for going Jack Black after his agonizingly brilliant turns in Owning Mahoney and Love Liza.

With such an obvious set-up, (can Aniston's free-spirit, shine some light up the air-tight sphincter of Stiller) you'd think there'd be some pretty fun stuff. To be honest there are some good solid laughs to be had - Aniston has got a way of delivering a line, from just enough of an unpredictable angle to keep her character crisp, and Stiller makes the most of a scene where he nervously awaits Aniston to join him in bed.

However, director John Hamberg relies much too heavily on gags and gimmicks (the old blind-ferret bit is getting a little old.) There's also a surprising absence of conflict as these vastly different worlds collide. This could have been a much better film and I'd suggest you wait for video on this one - unless you've already seen all the good films out right now and you really really have to go . . . on a date.