FILM: DUE DATE

Elliot Hyams goes on the road with Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis in Due Date.

The odd couple road trip movie is one of the staples of the comedy genre. It’s a simple formula that equals instant laughs, take two people, one an uptight straight man, the other a zany oddball, put them into a situation where they are forced to travel together, add a whole slew of comic mishaps and hilarity will ensue. Perhaps the most famous example of this formula in action is the classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Featuring both men at their prime it’s a crowd pleaser for all ages that has the perfect mix of screwball comedy and touching sentimentality. So when the trailer for the new odd couple road trip film Due Date first aired the comparisons were always going to be made. But how would the new film from the makers of the box office smashing The Hangover stand up to such an established classic?

On paper Due Date would seem to have a lot going for it, with films like Road Trip, Old School and of course The Hangover under his belt, writer director Todd Phillips has proven that he is more than capable of providing what the target audience expects from a film like this. Furthermore the two leads in the film, Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, are both hot properties at the moment who add credibility to any project they appear in. Due Date tells the story of Peter (Downey Jr.) an uptight business man travelling back from Atlanta to L.A to witness the birth of his child, but a bizarre encounter on the plane with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) leads to them both being added to the no-fly list for suspected terrorist activity. With no money and no alternative, Peter finds himself forced to hitch a ride with Ethan, his dog Sunny, and a coffee can containing the ashes of Ethan’s deceased father. Hoping for a smooth ride home Peter finds himself out of luck as Ethan’s bizarre behaviour leads them into a series of strange mishaps.

The major stumbling block for this film is that it is very hard to watch it without thinking of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, which did everything Due Date does, only much better. The truth is I really wanted to like this film, but it never really delivers on the promise of its potential. Robert Downey Jr. is as fantastic as ever and Zach Galifianakis plays the weirdo part to perfection, but the characters just aren’t as likable as those portrayed by Candy and Martin. A lot of the humour falls flat, and whilst there are plenty of chuckles there are relatively few laugh out loud moments. The greatest laugh in the whole film goes to a small dog performing a sex act and with that much talent on screen that really shouldn’t be the case. Due Date does have its moments and if you’re looking for a fun activity for a Saturday afternoon it is worth a watch, but Planes, Trains and Automobiles remains the unchallenged king of the genre.

Review by Elliot Hyams