Monday, January 31, 2011

Movie Review: Due Date

                                                        
Hey everyone!  Here is my review for the comedy Due Date.  Due Date is set for release on DVD/Blu Ray February 22.  I was pretty stoked to see this film.  Robert Downey Jr has made an amazing comeback to film and Zack Galafianakis was great in the Hangover so who really wouldn't want to watch this flick?  It was also directed by Todd Phillips who has directed such smash hits as Old School, Road Trip, Starsky and Hutch and The Hangover.

As far as the story goes, you have seen this film more than once.  It actually kind of reminds me a lot of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  The premise is by a series of unfortunate events 2 guys get thrown into a crazy road trip from Atlanta to Los Angeles.  Downey is an architect trying to get home to witness the birth of his first baby and Galafianiakis is a wannabe actor trying to get to Hollywood to fulfill his acting dreams.  Your probably wondering why they are not flying.  Watch the movie and find out but to make a long story short they are both put on the "no fly list" which in turn births the road trip.  Do they get home in time?  Would it be a good movie if they didn't?  C'mon people!  


Did I speak the words "Road Trip"?  Now that was a great movie!  I suggest that if you have not seen the 2000 film starring Sean William Scott, Breckin Meyer and Tom Green to do so!  If you have already seen that film and are expecting more of the same from Due Date, well, it's going to be a big hit and miss for you.  That's how I felt watching this film.  Their were some really funny and crazy parts but they were too far and in between to really be able to save this film.

As far as acting goes, Downey Jr. was fine.  He pretty much played a normal guy with a major selfish jerky side who is annoyed and almost killed by Galfainakis's character through out the whole film.  Zach seemed almost like the character he was in The Hangover.  I'm not sure if the director Todd Phillips liked that character so much he wanted to span it between 2 movies and then make a sequel to The Hangover or what?  It's not exactly the same character but it's so damn close you are constantly thinking that while watching this film.  He's funny because you haven't seen him in a thousand movies like Will Ferrel or Jim Carrey so your not sick and tired of seeing his scruffy beard and permed haircut.  Juliet Lewis makes a cameo and so does Danny Mcbride and Jamie Foxx.  


I think for Todd Phillips that it is hard to make something up to par and such a high level and success as The Hangover was.  Can you get any higher than that?  Will The Hangover 2 trump the first?  That is a good question and one that will be answered this summer.  As far as Due Date goes.  Push the date back because this baby has way more cooking to do before I can really say it was that great of a film.  Rent it.  Enjoy a few laughs and take it back.     



2 comments:

Unknown said...

I still haven't seen The hangover, although I hear it's really funny. I have a friend that absolutely loves Robert Downey Jr- and I have to agree, he's pretty awesome. Good review!

Unknown said...

I have to disagree and say that Due Date was much better than The Hangover ( http://www.deepfocusfilmstudies.com/due-date-in-focus.html ) as the chemistry between RDJ and ZG was so gripping to watch. TBH though at times I wanted to punch ZG as his character was just as irritating to the audience as it was to RDJ!

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