Genres

Visitors Review

Ali Catterall 2012-05-25 02:59:46

The Healing Schlub

A few years ago the film critic Nathan Rabin identified a stockcharacter he dubbed 'The Manic Pixie Dream Girl' – those kooky kittens,often played by Zoe Deschanel (truly, the Katy Perry of Indiewood), whosave soulful male protagonists from themselves. Well, I fancy thereexists a male equivalent of the MPDG, who I'm calling 'The HealingSchlub.' A staple of screwball road comedies, these cheerfullydisgusting stoners help steer their hard-ass co-passengers towardsemotional closure with their man-child antics. The late John Candyspecialised in them, and in Due Date Zach Galifianakis once againlollops up to the plate.Here he plays beardy-weirdy Ethan Tremblay, resembling (like allHealing Schlubs) a space hopper rolled in Jägermeister, dog hair andpretzels. Cursing his luck for having hitched an emergency ride withhim is uptight architect Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.), racingacross America to be present at his first baby's birth.In other words, it's Planes, Trains and Awfully Familiar Stuff; andalthough the movie's tagline is 'Leave Your Comfort Zone', we prettymuch know where we're headed. Still, RDJ automatically adds value toanything he's in, plus Galifianakis is virtually reprising hishilarious breakout role from The Hangover – a wonderfully inventivetreat for the Sideways generation, also directed by Todd Phillips. Sowhat could possibly...? Oh, everything. What a horrible misfire we have here: clichéd,mean-spirited, as amusing as a bed-locked fart, and tonally all overthe road – swerving like a narcoleptic driver (or four scriptwriters)between lanes of slapstick, contrived pathos, and misguided gross-out.And generally, just terrible, terrible writing. (At one point the pairdrive an all-too publicly stolen police car from the Mexican border tothe Grand Canyon and nobody follows them.) It's no wonder Downey Jr. – straitjacketed in second fiddle – lookscross, because, as usual, none of this is actually the cast's fault.All the same, Galifianakis might experiment with leaving his ownComfort Zone quite soon, lest he's written off as a one-trick Schlub.

2012-05-24 23:23:27

Two great actors, one terrible movie

I'm a big fan of both Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis. Unfortunately this is a terrible movie. Just a long string of unrealistic and shocking but not really funny bits. It's essentially a bad remake of Planes Trains and Automobiles with Steve Martin and John Candy on steroids. But they lost any likabiity or chemistry between the characters. It was so painful I skipped over the last 30 minutes of the movie to the last five minutes. Didn't look like it got any better.

Norman Wilner 2012-05-21 20:38:56

The actors could have coasted on the odd-couple script, but they both dig deep into their characters.

napierslogs 2012-05-21 05:26:19

Rude and horrible characters don't make a comedy

Peter (Robert Downey Jr) doesn't like Ethan (Zach Galifianakis) for anumber of reasons, most notably getting him on a no-fly list. I alsodidn't like Ethan, nor Peter, nor Peter's wife Sarah (MichelleMonaghan), nor their friend Darryl (Jamie Foxx). Peter has rage andanger issues and yet he's going to be a father. Sarah is a very hatefuland spiteful person and yet she's going to be a mother. Ethan is just amessed up kid but things don't jive with him. Darryl thinks it's okayto treat friends and strangers alike with disrespect and acrimony.Worst of all, the writers (6 credited ones) apparently think it's okayto give me such horrible characters, none of which are likable in anyway, and expect me to laugh. Road trip movies have great potential forcomedy, and "Due Date" could too if there were any elements of empathyin the characters. The one saving grace is that Downey Jr. andGalifianakis are great comedic actors. One of the best scenes hasGalifianakis delivering a monologue from "The Godfather", and I'll givecredit where credit is due, that was hilarious. Unfortunately, not muchelse was.

Christopher Tookey 2012-05-19 00:35:04

Due Date is not so much a road movie as a cultural car-crash.

Devyn 2012-05-18 17:36:01

Waste of Money

After seeing the previews, my mother came home from work and requested that we go see a movie, as she was very stressed. We chose this one, as it was supposed to be funny and good laugh was needed. Unfortunately, I can honestly say this is the WORST movie I have ever seen. It wasn't funny - it was flat out aggravating. I'm pretty open to all kinds of humor, but this just didn't even come close. I found myself angry when certain things happened that were supposed to be 'funny' and my mother actually requested that we leave early. We stayed for the whole thing, however, because we had paid slightly less than $20 to see the worthless film. Save your money, and if you really must see it, wait for it to come to your local Redbox.

2012-05-17 00:38:32

Awesome Flick

This review is from: Due Date [HD] (Amazon Instant Video) Really like this movie, got a ton of laughs and had a great time. My favorite part of the movie was when they were in waffle house and he tells him "after the fact" that he's allergic to waffles. Great flick, see it.

Jolene Mendez 2012-05-16 15:10:45

With a strange sense of 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles', but missing the magic, this one would be a great buddy film!

John DeSando 2012-05-16 03:17:09

Long Overdue

The gratuitous gross outs of Hangover are present in Todd Phillips'newest comedy, Due Date, which takes a bizarre trip into the region ofblack and absurdist, but ever so gently and tangentially.Robert Downey Jr's tense architect, Peter Highman, hitches a ride withZach Galifianakis' clueless aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay in order toget to LA from Atlanta in time to witness the birth of Peter's firstchild. Along the way Peter endures Ethan's dense lovingness while Ethantakes crushing criticism from the uptight Peter.Danny McBride and Juliette Lewis provide part of the eccentric castthat makes this picaresque one of the best comedies of the year. Thatdistinction comes in part from a crisp, rapid fire dialogue to a Downeywhose comic timing approaches perfection. Galifianakis plays avariation of his hug-a-bear persona perfected from Hangover and It'sKind of a Funny Story. It's just that Downey is a master of nuance,whose every twitch oozes character; Galifianakis can only hope for suchrange.Each part of their journey illuminates Peter's flaws and seems to movehim into a more loving attitude toward his partner, a staple of themodern bromance in which the men may actually say they love each other,a harmless affirmation of character development without danger ofhomosexuality.Yet, as the film reaches its conclusion, I am uncertain about what hashappened to Peter, if anything other than a manic trip, and whatdifference it all has made to Ethan (none that I can actually see—he'sstill happily clueless but working appropriately as an actor in a TVbromantic comedy about two men and a half of one).The wanking baby of Hangover is ramped up to a self-pleasing pug, asbizarre as it sounds, and absurdist, but it is funny as dog imitates amaster (Ethan) who pleasures himself to get to sleep. Director Phillipskeeps the dark light, and in so doing gives us an enjoyable bromance tocounterpoint a callous election time where there is little love orhumor.Due Date is long overdue this year.

2012-05-15 06:53:55

Funniest Movie of 2010 my buttocks.

To start with, let me apologize. Mostly, I am apologizing because Ipaid for another movie (The Colored Girl) with the intention of goingto see the "funniest movie of 2010" but refusing to pay for hack actorsthat I am tired of seeing in everything just because they stick around.First, he ruined Iron Man although I enjoyed it because it was myfavorite comic book as a child, then, he has the heart to be in acomedy where he plays a white man playing a black man playing a whiteman playing a moron. Well, I digress and must insist that I am sick andtired of people making 10, 20, 30 million dollars to be just the sameold tired buttock actor they always have been. As a review, let justsay that this movie had a couple of points of laughter but these weremostly washed out by lack of humor mixed in with a lot of dramaticacting for which I think Zach G. has proved he can be quite an actor.Do not pay to go see this movie as you will walk away a saddened,disappointed person. Downey, I give your movie a great big raspberry, athumbs down, an F, no star, 0 out of ten and I put you on notice thatif I ever see you again, I am going to get my money back. Oops, I neverpaid. But this is two hours of life I will never get back. And all youstudio employees that keep on going onto this site and giving the moviehigh ratings should be ashamed of yourselves. 7 out of ten? You must benuts. Here is another problem though, if it is the funniest movie of2010, how does it get a 7 out of 10? Proof that it not only is not evenclose to funniest, but also proving that the studio minions are at workgiving this film high marks. Downey, just go away for maybe ten totwenty years and I might like you again.

2012-05-12 23:02:30

What a Waste!

This review is from: Due Date (Amazon Instant Video) I tolerated ~20 minutes of this flick until I figured enough of my time had been wasted. This twenty minutes investment resulted in

sharon_scinta 2012-05-12 06:50:01

Fantastic Family Movie ~ Great belly laughs

It gets more difficult to agree on a movie as a family but we did itthis time. Our family consists of a 44,38,14,21-year-old's and each oneof us got something else out of the movie. We all agreed to see DueDate and were very glad we saw it. We truly enjoyed this film. Themovie was consistently funny and with heart. Robert and Zach play verywell together. With movie admission going up all time I have to saythis movie is worth the price of admission. It was really great to hearthe audience laughing hysterically. There were parts of the movie whereI truly had to compose myself so I didn't miss the dialog. I highlyrecommend this movie. Just really great fun! You wont regret it.

MaryAnn Johanson 2012-05-12 05:25:22

Welcome to the ritual humiliation of Robert Downey Jr.

Grassy1 2012-05-11 22:21:50

Wish I hadn't subjected myself to this waste of time.

If I could give this film 0 out of 10 I would. By the end I had aheadache through disbelief that someone could make a movie so bad. Letalone a movie with a big name like Robert Downy Jr. in it. Robert DownyJr. should sack his agent immediately for even suggesting a role in DueDate.An attempt at copying a classic film like Planes, Trains andAutomobiles that more than failed to achieve a laugh. Steve Martin andJohn Candy pulled it off with a well written plot, good timing and thefact that they were comedians. You find yourself feeling sorry for theactors in this film who obviously struggled in the comedic roles.I also could not believe the violence against children, that reallysickened me. Abusing children is not funny at all.Please think carefully before wasting your time with this less than Bgrade movie.

the_rattlesnake25 2012-05-09 02:47:08

"I thought it said Tex-ico..."

With his most recent film, the 2010 movie 'Due Date,' director ToddPhillips ('Road Trip,' 'Hangover') has decided to take a differentapproach to cultivating his comedic talents into ninety-minutes afterten unbridled years of success. Instead of the witty and oftenhilarious one-liners constantly lighting the audience's smiles andoccasionally unsettling their stomachs, he has now instead provided theaudience with the dark, underground aspect of the comedy film. While itis undoubtedly incredibly hilarious at times, the offensive remarksthrown between the characters do at times expand into the realm of darkand uncomfortable comedy, and too many, this dialogue will no doubt beacknowledged as being disturbing rather than awkwardly funny. 'TheHangover,' this is not.The story follows the highly-strung Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.)as he meets and subsequently gets stranded with the eccentric wannabeactor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis). With Peter needingdesperately to get from Atlanta, Georgia back to Los Angeles as soon aspossible for the birth of his first child, he must place his trust intothe hands of Ethan. With no money, no identification, and therealisation that every time Peter enters a domestic airport, he will besearched in the most sacred of man areas, what follow is today'sgenerations 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'. As mentioned beforehowever, this is not a John Hughes film by any standards.Peter is an angry, aggressive, ignorant, and ill-tempered middle-classbusinessman, who has little regard for others and their problems. Whenhe can't settle an argument or situation using rationality, heinstantly resorts to verbal, and sometimes, physical abuse. While Ethanis a vulnerable, well-intentioned human being, who unfortunately hasmany obnoxious qualities which would quite easily send the averageperson into a fit of insanity in mere moments. And it is through thisrelationship, where the film initially falters, before excelling in thefinal third of the film. For the first half of the film, the loathsomequalities of both men and their ability to kill the occasionalemotional moment of connection with an often disconcerting flash ofawkward humour, constantly keeps the audience at arm's length withregards to allowing them to empathise and connect with the charactersand their situations. But this isolation, begins to break-down as webegin to learn that both men, are simply that; men, under the moststressful of situations and that while they may have initially resentedeach other to the point, they have both their underlying reasons whythey both constantly end back up in other's company.Aside from the relationship between the two men, there is little elsethat the film tries to introduce to stir up the narrative of the film.The secondary characters such as Darryl (Jamie Foxx) as Peter'sbest-friend, and Heidi (Juliette Lewis) as a Craiglists drug-dealer,become slight restrictions in the boys road trip from coast-to-coast,but provide little else aside from momentary comic relief. 'Due Date'is a valiant effort in the contrasting character road-trip genre, butit just lacks any invigoration or invention that Phillip's previousoutings provided for the audience. And by attempting to introduceprolonged scenes of disturbingly awkward comedic sequences that mostoften than not end in the audience squirming at what they have heard,rather than laughing at what was said or done, Phillips will haveisolated his the loyal contingent of comedy fans who just want tobreak-away from the serious nature of life, rather than become engagedwithin it during the confines of a theatre visit.

nslipknot 2012-05-08 19:14:45

Same old Love Hate movie.

This should have been called, Planes, Trains and Automobiles 2. Boring but had two funny parts. Robert Downie has to pick another character, this one is played out!

ubermoe 2012-05-08 06:21:18

What a wonderful an exiting movie?

I have had no such nice time with a movie since a long time ago but Ithink this is a historical day for me watching this movie and I am nottrying to make it the most perfect but I gave it 10 out of 10 becauseit's entertaining, amazing and the most important is the attraction ofeach moment and action. It was a funny, romantic and sad movie at thesame time and I am just happy for booking this DVD and watching thismovie. My advice for all of you guys is to watch it and if you didn't like it,I will pay you your money back on my own ;)Wonderful work

kimberlybunts 2012-05-07 21:41:13

A good laugh

We went to the theater expecting to see something else discovered oncewe were there that the movie we had planned on wasn't showing andbasically bought tickets for Due Date because nothing else was showingat that time. Lucky accident because 5 minutes into the movie westarted giggling and didn't stop. The whole theater was laughing. Itreally was an enjoyable experience. I'd suggest it to anyone who islooking for a good comedy it was excellent! Robert Downey Jr.and ZachGalifianakis are an unlikely duo, and perhaps that is what makes it sobelievable. I don't usually choose comedies but found this to beunpredictable, witty and fun. I am surprised I haven't heard more aboutit-we'd both see it again and would buy it if it came out on video orCD later. A definite keeper!

2012-05-06 18:20:42

Funny

This review is from: Due Date (DVD) I knew this was going to be a funny movie. I bought it because I like Robert Downey Jr. The other guy is very funny and disturbing sometimes. Its a good movie. It shows pot use in the movie and talks about masturbation so its probably not good to let children view it.

Dan Franzen 2012-05-06 13:51:09

Stick with its predecessor - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

I think that Due Date operates under the main premise that the viewerhas never heard of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, for if they had,they'd be wondering why they were watching the same movie with all thejokes stripped out. Due Date is, in total, neither a terrible nor anoffensive film. Its problem is that it's a little too bitter, thuseliminating with surgical precision any empathy we might have for itstwo protagonists. It's a road trip with an obvious end in sight andsomewhat unpredictable wacky hijinks in between. You could do worse,but you could do much better.Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr.) is an architect who's attempting tofly out of Atlanta back home to Los Angeles to be with his wifeMichelle Monaghan, who's about to give birth. But thanks to a bag mixupwith a fellow traveler named Ethan Trembley (Zach Galifianakis), Peterfinds himself stranded in Atlanta, placed on the national No Fly list(minor misunderstanding, of course). Ethan offers him a cross-countryride in his rental, and off we go.The movie uses the trope of mismatched people enduring a commonexperience. Peter is uptight, dithering endlessly about what to namehis newborn. Ethan is, well, flighty. In fact, Galifianakis seems to beplaying the same character he played in the two Hangover films:childlike, maybe psychopathic and/or sociopathic, not all there. He'swildly misinformed about such things as the Grand Canyon and the HooverDam, but he is heading west to try to make it as an actor in Hollywood.Oh, and did I mention he's carrying the ashes of his deceased father ina coffee can to dispose of along the way? Well, there's that, too.You and I both know that there's no way Peter and Ethan will make itfrom Georgia to California without any problems. But Peter has nochoice - his wallet was confiscated at the airport, and his bags are ontheir way to LA. He has no cash and no ID. It could happen to anyone.So he's essentially at Ethan's mercy. Along the way, we learn muchabout the characters and what makes them tick, but whereas the earlierPlanes, Trains got melancholy without getting maudlin, this oneachieves no such feat.Downey, Jr. and Galifianakis give it their best shot, and to tell thetruth they're not bad. They make an okay team; it's just that it's ateaming we've seen before, and much better. Steve Martin and John Candygot into their share of situations that would never happen to a normalperson, but they also ran into problems with which we could all relate;here, it's more of the former than the latter. It's as if the moviekeeps daring itself to get weirder and weirder.The final, near-fatal flaw of the movie is that it really doesn't giveyou anyone to root for - except of course at the end. It's a comedy,after all. But these guys do some rather nasty things to each other,and not in the oh-no-he-didn't sort of way, either; rather, in thescowling, almost hateful way. It's a little disconcerting at times. Butthe actors do their best, as I said, and you could do worse.