Try a bit harder funny guy

It was 1996 when Swingers came along. The film would be the first to define Vaughn for most of us. He would come to embody its vision of retro-hip. Other careers would be helped by the film, but for Vaughn it would turn out to be starmaking material.

Like many people, I fell hard for the promise of Vaughn. Could he develop depth and finesse to match the roguish charm in the way of Paul Newman? Would he stretch beyond the comedy in stunning fashion as Bill Murray has? Or would he settle for Chevy Chasing his way through life, collecting cash while he can?

Reading the tealeaves of the 30 movies he's been in over the 13 years since Swingers, it doesn't look good for artistic promise beating out money in the bank.

Vaughn has gone from intriguing to repetitive. The $63 million-plus that Couples Retreat has made in its first two weeks will only make matters worse. Hollywood has a bad habit of confusing money with quality.

I hate that about Hollywood. And I hate what's happening with Vince Vaughn's career. In fact, now that I think of it, there are ten things I hate about Vince these days.

1 He's gotten lazy. Don't believe me? Take a random scene from Couples Retreat and another from Four Christmases. Now close your eyes and listen to Vaughn and, unless he says "Santa," I will bet 2-to-1 you can't tell which film it's from; $63 million not withstanding, at some point the masses will tire of the same shtick.

2He doesn't do drama. Vaughn has mostly skirted gritty stories, and that's a shame. In Return to Paradise, as the friend who holds the fate of Joaquin Phoenix's character in his hands after a trip to Malaysia goes wrong, Vaughn showed that he could do more than merely tread deep water opposite Anne Heche's and Phoenix's strengths.

3He always takes the lead now. He only had a few scenes scattered here and there in the assassination comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but Vaughn gave a sharp film extra bite. Despite the high wattage of co-stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, he was unforgettable as Pitt's addled boss. A tight turn can pay off big: consider the Oscar nomination William Hurt picked up for a riveting few minutes in A History of Violence.

4 He's so stingy with his vulnerability. Vaughn has a softness about him that he doesn't play to often enough. It was there in Old School as a reluctant Mr. Mom covered his toddler's ears when the guy-talk went raunchy. But it was as the sensitive single dad in A Cool, Dry Place that he found a way to lose himself inside that small-town lawyer. There were great moments where "Vince Vaughn" was nowhere to be found.

5 He's afraid to be the bad guy. Granted, critics were none too kind after the Norman Bates fiasco of Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho, but one misstep is no reason to stop trying. With the right knife, I know Vaughn can get in touch with his inner villain - like his serial killer in Clay Pigeons, only better and sans the goofy laugh.

6 He mostly plays with friends. Jon Favreau may be his BFF, but at this point in the game I think we'd all be grateful if that particular relationship could run its course off-screen. What was cool about the two as Trent and Mike in Swingers has gotten terribly old.

7 He rarely works with directors who scare him. Vaughn had a better six or so minutes as a random roadside tavern friend and eventual boss of Emile Hirsch working with a demanding Sean Penn in 2007's Into the Wild than he's had in all the movie minutes since (that would be roughly 317). No actor improves without a challenge, and no one challenges Vaughn any more.

8 He doesn't cry. There were hints that Vaughn might be able to create a real relationship with a real woman in The Break-Up with Jennifer Aniston. But only hints. Mostly, he's the detached sort. It's time for Vaughn to have a go at falling deeply, painfully in love on screen. Think of it as a character-building exercise he could sorely use.

9 He's losing the soul of his comedy. While I wish Vaughn would take risks outside his comfort zone, it's sad to see him losing his grip on his sweet spot. He was fresh in Swingers, honed in Old School, brilliant in Wedding Crashers, but he's been losing steam for a while. Vaughn's comedy is devolving with a delivery so uninspired you wonder if he's as bored as we are.

10 He's started taking us for granted. Given how well Couples Retreat did at the box office, plenty of moviegoers are still clinging to the perception that they can count on Vaughn to entertain them. But reality is closing in, it always does, and once disillusionment sets in, it's very hard to shake.

Vaughn isn't even 40 yet, so he has a long way to go in movie years. It would be such a shame if the decline we see in Couples Retreat becomes a trend. I hope he won't settle for OK, as lucrative as that may be, when greatness might still be on the cards.