The formula that has made Ben Stiller Hollywood's perennial funny-man is still alive and well: cast Stiller as the loveable loser who, despite the best intentions, can do no right, and surround him with a cast of talented and highly recognizable actors playing characters more eccentric than he is. Writer and Director John Hamburg (co-writer of "Meet the Parents" and "Zoolander," in which Stiller also played the lead) presents "Along Came Polly" as a by-the-numbers toilet humor comedy, which is interestingly in keeping with the main character (a risk management assessment analyst) Reuben Feffer's (Ben Stiller) by-the-numbers approach to life. Everything seems to be going as planned for Reuben until he and his new wife Lisa (Debra Messing) meet Claude (Hank Azaria), a muscular French-nudist-scuba instructor, at the beach on the second day of their honeymoon in the Caribbean. Claude offers to give them scuba instructions, but Reuben's risk assessing inclinations prevail, and, while his wife goes off with Claude, he tends to some things at the hotel. Meanwhile, Lisa tends to Claude and his huge penis-the only reason the film really gives us for her infidelity. Reuben returns to find Lisa spread-eagle under Claude, receiving instruction about tubes other than the kind used to carry oxygen. Lisa explains that she and Claude have been struck by love at first sight, and Reuben returns home to New York demoralized and dejected.

Reuben's best pal and former Brat-Packish child-star actor Sandy (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) soon takes the troubled Reuben to a trendy New York party where he runs into an old middle-school friend Polly (Aniston) serving drinks. Aniston plays the yin to Stiller's anal-retentive yang: a free spirited bohemian type, a "rolling stone" who damns the risks and has never stayed long in one place since her family left New York when she was in the seventh grade.

The relationship that develops between Reuben and Polly lacks credibility. We are never quite sure why she is attracted to Reuben in the first place, and his conduct throughout the remainder of the relationship would make anyone hit the road. We also are never quite sure why Polly is the perfect match for him. Yes she has bummed around the world since college, yes she eats bar nuts even after Reuben crunches the numbers for her on why she shouldn't eat them (which is enough to make any of you never eat bar nuts again), but does her supposed edginess overcome everything else to really make them a good couple? In the end, she is right for Reuben because she is Jennifer Aniston. The film is fluff, but it is still enjoyable because it has no pretensions of being anything other than fluff.

"Along Came Polly" is short, with runtime of 90 minutes, and incredibly light, but funny. I was surprised to see a wide and varied demographic present. Young people, couples and to my surprise, many older people who have frowned on some of Stiller's previous work all filled the theater. This is certainly one of the tamest and most slicked-up Stiller movies to date. The supporting cast in this film is particularly good-so good, in fact, that they steal the show from the leads. When given room to show his talent, Hoffman is hilarious as Sandy, a fallen child actor with a perpetual case of star syndrome. You will also be better acquainted with the term "sharted" after seeing his exquisitely revolting performance, although that's probably not a good thing. Alec Baldwin also shines in brief scenes as Reuben's crass boss, particularly in the-you guessed it-urinal scene. Bryan Brown fills out the cast as a rich, accident-prone daredevil named Leland Van Lew who Reuben's firm is actively pursuing (i.e. leads to zany predicaments). Overall the film is entertaining, but don't expect anything fresh or against-the-grain. I laughed at least 10 times and didn't have to think once. "Along Came Polly" may be fluff, but at least it's good fluff. Oh, did I mention Jennifer Aniston gets spanked?