Due Date – A Warner Bros. Release

www.duedatemovie.com

Release Date: November 5th, 2010

Rated 14A for coarse language, substance abuse, and crude content.

Running time: 95 minutes

Todd Phillips (dir.)

Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel, & Todd Phillips (screenplay)

Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland (story)

Christophe Beck (music)

Robert Downey Jr. as Peter Highman

Zach Galifianakis as Ethan Tremblay

Michelle Monaghan as Sarah Highman

Jamie Foxx as Darryl

© 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture

Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon

DueDate-02440r: (L-r) ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Peter Highman and ZACH GALIFIANAKIS as Ethan Tremblay in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ comedy “DUE DATE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Our reviews below:

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Due Date Review By John C.

** (out of 4)

Last year, director Todd Phillips’ The Hangover became the most successful R-rated comedy of all time.  Like everyone else, I thought it was hilarious.  Heck, I loved the movie.  This year he tries to repeat the magic with Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the straight man to the crazy antics of breakout comedian Zach Galifanakis.  But is it a match made in comedy heaven?  More like one of the most disappointing movies of the year.

After a series of misfortunes, the uptight Peter’s (Robert Downey Jr.) only hope of getting back to his very pregnant wife is to hitch a ride with the bearded and eccentric Ethan (Zach Galifanakis), who’s clutching a coffee can containing the remains of his father.  Along the way, all hell predictably breaks loose, with all manner of outrageous behaviour and highway mishaps.  There are amusing moments, I must admit, but there are also those of misjudged dark humour and weird stereotypes.

The theory of movie comedy should not allow anything starring the likes of Downey Jr. and Galifanakis to go wrong, but the problem here is that their characters simply aren’t likable.  Peter has severe anger management issues – to the point of gut-punching a kid, and Ethan is just genuinely ignorant.  The characters they meet along the way are often offensive, in particular a misplaced scene featuring Danny McBride as an Iraq war vet.

Comparisons to the great John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles are obviously apparent, but where Hughes played it for genuine emotion, Due Date plays closer to dark comedy.  There are a few scenes where the film very nearly shows it’s heart, but they’re quickly shortchanged by moments of broad humour.

It’s not that the Due Date isn’t funny – there were several moments when I laughed, mainly in spite of myself, it’s just that it isn’t anywhere near as funny as it could or should have been.  There is also a needless nastiness to a lot of the humour, making it an often unpleasant journey for both us and the characters.  In short, Due Date isn’t a bad movie, it just could have been a great one.

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Due Date Review By Erin V.

**1/2 (out of 4)

In Due Date, Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) is traveling back to LA to be with his wife due for a c-section in a few days.  When a mishap at the airport involving a not too bright guy Ethan (Zach Galifianakis), causes him to lose his wallet and be put on the ‘no-fly’ list, he ends up with no choice but to accept Ethan’s offer to drive him more than halfway across the country to get home in time.  Of course, Peter can’t stand Ethan, and his anger-management issues get the better of him more than once.

When I first heard the premise and the casting of the two actors, it sounded really good.  Two strong actors just playing off of each other in a confined environment for most of a movie can work really well.  (And both actors do well as usual.)  I was never bored during the 95 minutes watching this film, but rather than genuinely being amused, I often found myself laughing in shock at what was just put forth as a joke.  Unfortunately, Due Date ends up a movie in which it’s characters never really break out of the stereotypes set out for them.  It’s the kind of film you think back on and there aren’t too many memorable, appropriately funny jokes.

With a more courageous script that isn’t afraid to show emotion without a dumb joke immediately following and ruining the moment, Due Date could have been a really good movie rather than an average one.  Lots of potential here, but with it’s often lowbrow humour, and lack of enough heart, ultimately it’s a disappointing miss.

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Due Date Review By Nicole

**1/2 (out of 4)

Due Date is a quirky road trip comedy.  Peter (Robert Downey Jr.), is a short tempered guy who is expecting his first child.  His wife is expecting any day now, and Peter must get home immediately.  But when a sequence of events involving an emotionally immature stranger accidentally gets Peter on a no fly list, he must travel with the guy on a very long car ride.  The guy, Ethan (Zach Galifianakis), has a cute little dog named Sonny, but this isn’t enough to counteract his annoying habits.  However, Ethan has a human side.  Part of his journey is to lay to rest the remains of his dad, which are contained in a coffee can.  (This later becomes the subject of a predictable gag.)

Due Date falls flat when compared to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, which is a far superior film.  Due Date lacked the heart and warmth of John Hughes’ classic, instead relying on humour of a darker nature.  (A few of the “jokes” could actually be considered offensive to certain people.)  But with a decent pair of actors, Due Date is a mildly entertaining film that is worth a rental.

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Due Date Review By Maureen

**1/4 (out of 4)

Due Date bears more than a passing resemblance to John Hughes’ touching road trip/buddy movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  Two guys, Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) and Ethan (Zach Galifianakis) find themselves through a series of mishaps and misunderstandings forced to travel together to make it to their destination on a deadline.  In Due Date the deadline is the scheduled c-section for Peter’s wife, Sarah.  It’s up to Ethan to get Peter to Los Angeles on time for the big event.

With two such strong actors and a proven formula for a storyline you would think Due Date couldn’t miss.  Yet somehow it does.  Where Planes, Trains, and Automobiles had a nice mix of heart and humour, Due Date, while laugh out loud funny at times, has a mean undertone and needlessly crude humour especially in scenes with Ethan’s cute Pug, Sonny.  There are times when we see a glimmer of a genuine bond forming between Ethan and Peter.  Then another crude gag comes along and spoils the mood.

Both Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis give adequate performances but neither character is likable enough to make the viewer want to invest in their unlikely friendship.  Check this one out if you just can’t get enough of either actor.  Otherwise rent the classic and much funnier, Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

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Due Date Review By Tony

** (out of 4)

Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is flying home to L.A. from Atlanta to attend the birth of his first child. Due to a silly series of mixups involving aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis), both get thrown off the plane and Ethan offers to drive Peter across the country. Peter is an architect with anger issues, and Ethan is a complete moron.

With such leading talent, Due Date should have been good, but it suffers from a sophomoric script (high school sophomoric, only slightly better than the middle school sophomoric rating I gave to Going the Distance). Though well executed, most of the gags are dumb if not mean-spirited or even offensive, with very little redeeming qualities in the characters. Due Date is even less attractive in comparison with other films using a similar premise, such as Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, which is so much better in every way.

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Consensus:  While there was lots of potential here, Due Date just isn’t as funny as it should be, despite the pairing of Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis.  Although not a bad movie, it’s simply not up to what it could have been. **1/4 (Out of 4)