It takes a lot to make a movie starring Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr. anything less than extraordinary, but somehow Due Date manages to do this with surprising ease. The most frustrating aspect of its mediocrity is that the film had the potential to be great. After all, the basic premise of the film, two men of opposite personalities stuck with each other, is the bread and butter of comedy. But Due Date misses the point and flops despite Galifianakis’ and Downey’s best efforts.
A large part of the beauty of the game the characters play is the simplicity of the idea: one guy is an idiot incapable of any true understanding; the other is a straight–faced chap who detests having to deal with that moron. Add to this the fact that they have to drive cross–country with a stiff deadline to make and you’ve got yourself fertile comedic grounds.
So what goes wrong? As a way to subvert the aforementioned convention, the movie tries too hard to distract us with flying cars, corrupt Mexican officials, weed and guns to let us enjoy it. Sure, a masturbating dog is hilarious, but less so when it takes away from what should be the essence of this story: the relationship between businessman Peter Highman (Downey) and aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis).
There are shimmers of light here and there: a candid conversation about paternal loss during which Ethan inappropriately laughs at Peter being abandoned by his father, coffee accidentally brewed with a dead man’s ashes and a running joke about Two and a Half Men. However, these ultimately serve as examples of brilliantly functional moments that will make you feel sure that a potentially superb comedy has been traded for pointless extravaganza.
Due date
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis
Rated R, 100 min.
2/5 Stars
