As I walked out of Cobb after seeing “Due Date,” I was actually pretty pleased with the movie. Sure, it was pretty shallow, but a good amount of gut laughs were produced from the audience, and everyone outside afterward seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Even I thought that the film offered a few absurd laughs that only Todd Phillips (known for also directing “Old School,” “Starsky & Hutch” and “The Hangover”) could provide.
When I thought about the movie a little later on, I realized that I could remember the plot elements, but none of the jokes really stood out. The only reason I could remember the plot is simple; the entire story and comedic structure of the film basically rips off John Hughes’ 1987 classic buddy film “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” with Steve Martin and John Candy. It does this in a decidedly raunchier way, but that isn’t to say it’s a better or more effective way.
Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.), an uptight architect, is racing home to L.A. so he can witness the birth of his child. Complications arise at the airport when he bumps into aspiring actor and lunatic pothead Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis), who, along with the remains of his father in a Folger’s coffee can, is on his way to make it in Hollywood. After a dispute on the plane (aided of course by Ethan) that puts him on a “no-fly” list, Peter realizes he left his wallet on the departed plane. Although Tremblay annoys him to no end, he decides to take a cross-country trip with him back to L.A. so he can yadda yadda yadda.
Sound familiar? Even if you haven’t seen “Planes,” it’s pretty easy to see that there are numerous elements of the plot that are stolen right out of better films. When Peter gets kicked off the plane, for example, it’s more than a little reminiscent of the scene in which Ben Stiller is kicked off the plane in “Meet the Parents.” The joke about Ethan’s dad’s ashes being placed in a coffee can is lifted straight out of “The Big Lebowski,” and there is even a climatic scene in which his ashes are thrown off a cliff.
All of this serves as an indication of some pretty lazy writing. Phillips and his team of screenwriters seem to be coasting here as they offer a lot of jokes that have simply been done to death at this point. Many genres of comedy are tried here (buddy, road trip, pothead, absurd) but none of them really seem to stick. Even the pot humor in the movie seems bland and uninformed. (Can we agree that smoking pot does not make you see imaginary bears?)
What saves the movie slightly, however, is the acting. Although his character is pretty much the same one he played in “The Hangover” (albeit with a few more delusions of grandeur), Galifianakis is pretty hilarious in the film as Ethan. His unkempt physical presence and unhinged comedic personality, previously utilized for maximum effect in his standup act, has the ability to make the tired writing almost seem inspired as he fully commits to his character. Downey is reliable as always as the put-upon straight man to Galifianakis’s deranged Ethan, but as his anger rises we realize how unrealistic it is that he keeps giving Ethan second chances.
The supporting cast is completely wasted, with Jamie Foxx offering a wholly useless and phoned in performance as Peter’s friend and RZA providing a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. Only Danny McBride, of “Eastbound and Down” fame, offers a memorable appearance as a Western Union worker who retaliates to Downey’s prickly insults.
If you go see this movie, you will laugh. It’s just that, with all of the talent on board, you should be laughing a lot more than you do. Although this film may just serve as a way for Phillips to whet audience’s appetites for “The Hangover 2,” it could have been done with a lot more originality and depth. As it stands, however, “Due Date” will have audiences laughing over the weekend, but not that long after.
Runtime: 100 min. MPAA Rating: R
CW Critic’s Rating: 2 out of 4 stars
Bottom Line: While it does wring some laughs, “Due Date” is, for the most part, a derivative and pointless comedy.
