Aaaah, Due Date. Lofty expectations going into this movie, as I adore both Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr., but unfortunately, the movie doesn’t really deliver (rimshot). The movie is actually filled with a lot of typically good comedic actors, Danny McBride, Matt Walsh, Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis, but at its core, Due Date is about and centers around Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) and Ethan (Zach Galifianakis). Unfortunately, that is part of the problem. Directed by Todd Philips (of The Hangover fame), Due Date doesn’t really work on the same level as The Hangover, instead of being buddies, Ethan and Peter are mortal enemies from the outset. A lot of the comedy happens when they are either yelling, fighting, or screwing each other over in some way. Don’t get me wrong, the movie is funny, but you can tell it’s missing something.
The story follows Peter, as he is trying to get back home to his wife who is expecting to deliver their bouncing baby boy. While getting on his flight in Atlanta, Peter gets thrown off a plane because of Ethan, and through a series of unfortunate events, has to take Ethan up on his offer to drive him to Hollywood (Los Angeles, no one calls it Hollywood). Various hijinks ensue, including getting rid of Ethan’s father’s ashes in the grand canyon, making a pit stop to pick up drugs from Heidi (Juliette Lewis), and getting arrested by Mexican border officials for trying to sneak drugs into their country, because hey, why not?
The funny parts are funny, and Todd Philips does a great job of keeping everyone focused, and of course Zach and Robert developed a pretty good chemistry together, and they actually work as a comedic duo, but the film is missing a little something something, and it’s noticeable. Perhaps it’s because I’d rather see Zach and Robert do a comedy where they are partners or on the same team instead of working against each other. I don’t know, I give it a 2/5, but not for lack of comedy, mainly it lacks heart, and also a cohesive/compelling story. One of the things that made The Hangover work so well was because you knew that the gang needed to get Doug back home for the wedding, Due Date lacked that urgency, and suffered for it.
