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Due Date is another buddy
movie about an
unlikely pair making
a cross-country trip
with hijinx and
shenanigans
happening to the two
until they reach
their destination
and become friends.
We’ve seen this
movie before. Still,
with Robert Downey
Jr. portraying a
very unlikable
protagonist and Zach
Galifianakis playing
the part of the
sidekick this movie
has plenty to laugh
at and enjoy. Plus
with The Hangover’s
Todd Phillips at the
helm directing,
Due
Date
turns out to be a
very funny movie.
Peter
Highman is one of
those people that
everybody wants to
punch in the face
when they have to
deal with them. He’s
a know-it-all ass
that attacks every
little thing that he
sees wrong with a
situation. He’s an
architect on a
business trip that’s
trying to get back
to Los Angeles so he
can see the birth of
his first son. Ethan
Tremble is a dimwit
who is relatively
clueless about life
and the people
around him. He’s
heading to Los
Angeles to become an
actor with his
ultimate goal being
an appearance on
Two
and a Half Men.
After the two get
into it on an
airplane, they’re
escorted off of the
plane, leaving
behind their
possessions and then
being stuck on the
no-fly list. So,
Peter is stuck a
thousand miles away
from his home in Los
Angeles and he’s got
to get there in a
week to see the
birth of his child.
Being the
humanitarian he is,
Ethan offers to let
Peter ride with him
to Los Angeles… and
let the laughs
begin.
Of
course the best
thing about
Due Date
is Zach Galifianakis
and Robert Downey
Jr. Galifianakis is
hilarious as Ethan
and Downey Jr. is
the perfect Peter.
He’s unlikeable as
they come and really
he proves himself to
be the best working
actor in movies
every time he has a
new one come out.
Galifianakis’ part
here is basically
the same part he
played in
The Hangover.
He’s clueless about
what’s going on
around him and he’s
self-destructive.
Basically he’s a
four-year old that
smokes pot and has a
beard. The two
actors are the best
part of the movie,
after all that’s the
way it’s supposed to
be in a buddy
comedy.
Due Date also scores points
for some original
jokes and some great
direction done by
Phillips. The only
thing that hinders
the movie some is
its attempted
balance to try find
humanity amid
something extreme.
It doesn’t work
here, you can’t
connect with either
character on a
personal level and
it tries to force
you to do that.
That’s a nit-pick
for a criticism but
it is what it is and
that’s the only
thing keeping
Due
Date
from being an elite
comedy.
The
bonus features on
this release aren’t
bad, they’re the
standard for a
comedy. There’s a
gag reel and a
deleted scene
feature, plus a
couple of mash-ups
that are cool to
watch through. The
highlight of the
bonus features is
Ethan Tremble’s
complete scene on
Two and a Half Men, which is
predictably funny.
Due Date is a great comedy
and one of this
year’s best on Blu-ray
so far, that’s a
definite. But it’s
not an epic
must-watch affair
like
The
Hangover
is. It’s just a
solid movie to watch
if you’re looking
for a laugh.
Galifianakis and
Downey Jr. are both
great and the pair
are good here for a
solid buddy comedy.
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