DUE DATE (2010)

Directed By: Todd Phillips
Written By: Alan Freedland, Alan R. Cohen, Adam Sztyikel & Todd Phillips
Story By: Alan Freedland & Alan R. Cohen
Cinematography By: Lawrence Sher
Editor: Debra Neil-Fisher

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galafanakis, Juliette Lewis, Jamie Foxx, Danny McBride, Michelle Monaghan, RZA, Matt Walsh, Brody Stevens

High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child’s birth on time.

While i will not lie and say I didn’t laugh at all the laughs I did have were few and far in between.

This film reeks of a package deal. Zach Galifinakis was hot off of the movie THE HANGOVER. So was director Todd Phillips and the hottest male movie star at the time had an opening in his schedule and wanted to make a comedy. So with a thin story it seems they tried to make up things as the movie went along.

So the film plays to each of those involved strengths, but it’s like a one joke premise and goes from there with a bunch of strange situations and circumstances. Where they try to drain humor and jokes out of what they can and ends up not having too much to work with.

Looking at Todd Phillips previous films it is obvious he enjoys making films that take place during road trips In fact it was the title of one of his first films. This is a journey I could have skipped. it’s almost like a updated version of PLANES TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES only more raunchy and with a lot less heart.

The film takes place as Robert Downey Jr. playing the straight man travels home to be with his wife who is about to give birth but he is thwarted in his attempt to catch a flight by Zach Galafanakis’s character the two then decide to drive to California together since they both are needed there. Of course the trip becomes hellish as each stop promises more hell and hijinks then anything.

The film doesn’t succeed as much as it thinks it will, from the two characters from vastly different backgrounds clash. The yuppie played by Robert Downey Jr. clashing with the man boy of Zach Galafankis. Which could have worked but the problem is that Galafanakis’s character is so annoying there is no way anyone could have put up with him and his ways believably. Which then really speaks to the plausibility of what we are watching. His is so unlikeable but we are supposed to fall for his cuddly tendencies. Which makes no sense as much of the movie seems to be the two stars riffing like jazz musicians (Bad Ones), While some cameos by other actors come and go. A lot of the film just seems made up on the go. While other scenes seem planned out to shake up the audience with some action finally.

I wanted to enjoy the film more then I did, as I enjoy the performers involved but the film feels lazy. Like they felt that if they got the audience to pay to see the movie they could make anything up and the audience would be happy. Robert Downey Jr. can escape the film unscathed, Zach Galafanakis’s role could have been played by any comedian he just seems to be there to fill out the weirdness with his cuddly bear like looks and gaze.

Director Todd Phillips is in the film as his character Barry the pervert, along with Juliette Lewis who seems to be reprising her role from OLD SCHOOL or really any of the roles she has played in previous Todd Phillips comedies. While she is welcome and nice to see in the movie like most of the appearances by funny actors. It goes nowhere and seemed funnier as a idea then in actual execution.

It just seems to be a star driven Vehicle where we take a dramatic actor and take him out of his element and watch him break down to becoming more and more outlandish due to circumstances and Zach Galafanakis as a comedic back up if Downey comes off too stiff.

Really Don’t know why Jamie Foxx is in this movie. As he seems only to be in a small supporting role and another big name in the cast list, but like in the movie HORRIBLE BOSSES, No real reason and doesn’t add anything either. The only reason i believe here is  maybe as he and Downey Jr.  Had a film coming up together and was doing it as a favor.

GRADE: D+