The Hangover arrived last year and was such a sleeper hit that it may have been diagnosed with narcolepsy were it a person and not a piece of cinematic entertainment. It made a star of Zach Galifianakis and was a relative breath of fresh air after the slew of Judd Apatow-powered comedies like Funny People which had become a little too wishy-washy and introspective for my liking. It brought some bombast and debauchery to the table even if it was ultimately a very traditional style of film comedy. Riding on the wave of popularity, director Todd Phillips teams up with Galifianakis and A-lister Robert Downey Jr. for Due Date. On paper it is another by-the-numbers comedy road movie where an odd couple are forced to share the same car for a whirlwind trip across America. A Planes, Trains and Automobiles for the Facebook generation. But not as good.
Downey Jr. plays anal asshole* Peter Highman who must get back to LA to witness the birth of his first child. Galifianakis is mincing oddball Ethan Tremblay who is heading to Hollywood to make it as an actor, inspired by tepid sitcom Two and a Half Men. As Bart Simpson once said, the ironing is delicious. The pair get put on the no-fly list after some pre-flight antics and they have to share Ethan’s rental car as Peter’s wallet is on the plane.
Things progress as you would expect, with Peter’s icy heart gradually warmed by Ethan’s innocent weirdness. The problem is that the moments of humour are fleeting. It is not that the script is necessarily unfunny but rather that there are just not enough jokes. The narrative gets in the way, which in as arbitrarily plotted work as this is a bit of an issue.
If you liked The Hangover then Due Date will be enough to tide you over until part 2 is released next year. I wasn’t bowled over by the precursor to this experience, but it is innocuous enough to warrant toleration if not actual enjoyment or praise.
*That’s not as much of a tautology as it sounds
