Film: Due Date
Director: Todd Phillips
Written By: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel, Todd Phillips (Screenplay) Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland (Story)
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Run Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zack Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx
I only just got to see The Hangover for the first time three weeks ago. This was after a year of huge hype where I was told by every single one of my friends that it was "The funniest thing evar!" Having missed it in cinemas and forgetting to get it on DVD, I saw that it was on Sky Movies and gave it a shot. It was alright. It was not "The funniest thing evar!" It wasn?t even the funniest film of last year (that honour went to the hysterical In The Loop). It was just a solid comedy boosted by great performances by the entire cast.
I tell you this because when I say that director Todd Phillips' latest, Due Date, is exactly like The Hangover, I don't mean that it is the funniest thing I've seen all year. Not even close. It is, instead, a decent comedy with two exceptional leads being struck down with a script that never once reaches for "gut-busting hysterics" and feels content to just settle for "mild chuckles".
Peter Highman (Downey Jr.) is an architect just trying to get home to Los Angeles see his wife (Monaghan) give birth to their child. Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) is trying to get to Los Angeles for an audition for Two And A Half Men (although why anyone would want to be associated with that show is beyond me. Hiyo!). A misunderstanding gets them both thrown off of the plane that they are on and put on the No-Fly list, along with Peter losing his wallet with his money and I.D. Running out of time and options, Peter decides to hitch a ride to Los Angeles with Ethan.
From there, things go over the top, like in The Hangover. But Due Date lacks a lot of the big laugh out loud moments that The Hangover had. Most of the best jokes were given away in the trailer and whilst there are some really funny moments, like when Pete has to baby-sit two kids or a masturbating dog, they are way too few and far in between. Some "jokes" are also just plain unfunny such as a trip to the Mexican border or an extended moment where Peter insults a wheelchair-bound army veteran.
All of which is a damn shame because there are two exceptional leading performances here. Both Downey Jr. and Galifianakis are on fire in this. Downey, in particular, displays impeccable comic timing and his curmudgeonly role fits excellently. Galifianakis plays roughly the same role as he did in The Hangover, but the good news is that he's still really funny and he and RDJ have such great chemistry so this isn't really an issue.
It's sad, then, that both of the characters are so un-likeable. Unlike in, say, Planes, Trains & Automobiles (of which this movie borrows a lot from) there is no real attempt to make you care about either of the characters. There's also no consistency. If the script calls for both characters to be at each others throats, then at each others throats they will be. If the script calls for both characters to be best buddies about five seconds later, then it will happen. Comedies based around people who are un-likeable are the back bone of some of the best of all time. But at least they are consistent in their portrayal. If someone is a douchebag, they stay a douchebag. They don't flit between douchebag and saint. Peter has an excuse, sort of (he has anger management issues), but Ethan is either an annoying imbecile or a lovable fool and he's never one long enough for you to care.
Despite everything I've said though, I liked Due Date. I found it to be really funny in parts and I was never really bored. My problem is that it could've been so much better. With such great comic talent who have such great chemistry, it's really depressing to see them saddled with mediocre material. It's a solid comedy that you'll forget within a week. It's this year's The Hangover.
3 out of 5.
Director: Todd Phillips
Written By: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel, Todd Phillips (Screenplay) Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland (Story)
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Run Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zack Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx
I only just got to see The Hangover for the first time three weeks ago. This was after a year of huge hype where I was told by every single one of my friends that it was "The funniest thing evar!" Having missed it in cinemas and forgetting to get it on DVD, I saw that it was on Sky Movies and gave it a shot. It was alright. It was not "The funniest thing evar!" It wasn?t even the funniest film of last year (that honour went to the hysterical In The Loop). It was just a solid comedy boosted by great performances by the entire cast.
I tell you this because when I say that director Todd Phillips' latest, Due Date, is exactly like The Hangover, I don't mean that it is the funniest thing I've seen all year. Not even close. It is, instead, a decent comedy with two exceptional leads being struck down with a script that never once reaches for "gut-busting hysterics" and feels content to just settle for "mild chuckles".
Peter Highman (Downey Jr.) is an architect just trying to get home to Los Angeles see his wife (Monaghan) give birth to their child. Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) is trying to get to Los Angeles for an audition for Two And A Half Men (although why anyone would want to be associated with that show is beyond me. Hiyo!). A misunderstanding gets them both thrown off of the plane that they are on and put on the No-Fly list, along with Peter losing his wallet with his money and I.D. Running out of time and options, Peter decides to hitch a ride to Los Angeles with Ethan.
From there, things go over the top, like in The Hangover. But Due Date lacks a lot of the big laugh out loud moments that The Hangover had. Most of the best jokes were given away in the trailer and whilst there are some really funny moments, like when Pete has to baby-sit two kids or a masturbating dog, they are way too few and far in between. Some "jokes" are also just plain unfunny such as a trip to the Mexican border or an extended moment where Peter insults a wheelchair-bound army veteran.
All of which is a damn shame because there are two exceptional leading performances here. Both Downey Jr. and Galifianakis are on fire in this. Downey, in particular, displays impeccable comic timing and his curmudgeonly role fits excellently. Galifianakis plays roughly the same role as he did in The Hangover, but the good news is that he's still really funny and he and RDJ have such great chemistry so this isn't really an issue.
It's sad, then, that both of the characters are so un-likeable. Unlike in, say, Planes, Trains & Automobiles (of which this movie borrows a lot from) there is no real attempt to make you care about either of the characters. There's also no consistency. If the script calls for both characters to be at each others throats, then at each others throats they will be. If the script calls for both characters to be best buddies about five seconds later, then it will happen. Comedies based around people who are un-likeable are the back bone of some of the best of all time. But at least they are consistent in their portrayal. If someone is a douchebag, they stay a douchebag. They don't flit between douchebag and saint. Peter has an excuse, sort of (he has anger management issues), but Ethan is either an annoying imbecile or a lovable fool and he's never one long enough for you to care.
Despite everything I've said though, I liked Due Date. I found it to be really funny in parts and I was never really bored. My problem is that it could've been so much better. With such great comic talent who have such great chemistry, it's really depressing to see them saddled with mediocre material. It's a solid comedy that you'll forget within a week. It's this year's The Hangover.
3 out of 5.
