Review of Due Date (2010) by Joanna B — 01 Mar 2016

Put simply this movie is close to the greatest waste of talent I have seen.

It also confirms my suspicion that people will laugh at anything on spec whether it is actually funny or not.

The reunification of director Todd Phillips and his breakout comedy star, Zach Galifianakis, from The Hangover, and the addition of arguably the best American actor today, Robert Downey Jr, made this look like a sure-fire winner going in.

But the reality is that it isn't funny, apart from an occasional chuckle. Instead it is flat, tasteless and derivative with a script that is slapped together knowing that Phillips's infinitely superior previous effort will pull the crowds that feel an obligation to laugh because of the pedigree involved.

The film opens in Atlanta with Peter Highman (Downey Jr) about to catch a flight home to Los Angeles, where his pregnant wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) is hoping his return will precede the arrival of their first child.

From the moment Peter steps out of the cab at the airport, things start going wrong.

A walking disaster area has arrived in the form of Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis), whose annoying friendliness and refusal to avoid words like 'terrorist' and 'bomb' while on board an aircraft result in Peter not only being forcibly removed from the plane by air marshals but put on the 'no fly' list.

Worse, with his wallet still at his vacated seat, he has no credit cards, cash, or ID. That's when Ethan comes to the rescue, offering Peter a ride to LA.

Of course you know it is going to turn into the ride from hell with Ethan's inability to act like anything but a giant cliche´, ending more often than not in serious injury for Peter while he remains largely unscathed.

The overarching problem here is that it is pretty much a retread of the infinitely superior John Hughes feature Planes, Trains and Automobiles, resting somewhere in between homage and remake.

That's where the similarity ends though as it lacks the chemistry enjoyed by Steve Martin and John Candy and their characters, the interaction between the two leads here shows no depth or warmth.

In fact it offers no valid reason why we should like two such unappealing people. Instead of going the John Candy route of setting Ethan up as a loveable loser, he is reduced to a detestable irritant, so when the film attempts to soften him and provide an emotional component to his back story failure is inevitable.

They, like the obligatory relationship that develops between him and Peter, reek of Hollywood artifice at its worst. To me Robert Downey Jr is as close to an acting god as you can get, but it is easy to see he is far from his best here.

Playing the straight man in a raunchy, sophomoric comedy is far from the most challenging or fulfilling piece of work and this could be why he brings less verve to it than he has to any recent role, including his Iron Man outings.

Zach Galifianakis seems to have studied his co-star in Dinner for Schmucks, Steve Carell, in creating a repellent, obnoxious and unlikeable character.

The two actors play individuals with an identical critical personality trait - they are irritating beyond belief.

Doubts are starting to creep in about his star turn in The Hangover with his second lightweight effort in a row.

Jamie Foxx, Downey's costar in The Soloist, makes an appearance that is more of an extended cameo than a supporting part. Despite all this there is a readymade audience that will lap up this decidedly second-rate effort, as I said on spec alone.

However, it lacks the freshness or explosive spontaneity of The Hangover, unless you consider an adult punching a child or a masturbating dog, which has been done before, or even someone vomiting on a bullet wound high comedy.

Not in my lifetime I am afraid.

Published: The Queanbeyan Age.

Date of Publication: 10/12/2010.