Warner Bros. | 2010 | 95 mins. | R
When I heard that director Todd Phillips was reuniting with Zach Galifianakis, I naturally thought the project had the makings of another laugh-till-you-drop comedy. Add Robert Downey Jr., one of the best actors working today, and Due Date sounded like it could be one of the best comedic tinged films of recent years. Sadly though, Due Date is a proof that even a tremendous group of talent doesn’t always produce. This cross-country road trip movie feels like an update of 1987’s Planes, Trains & Automobiles with a heavy dose of raunchiness, and without the affability of John Candy and the humor of Steve Martin.
Peter (Downey Jr.) is in Atlanta, but needs to get to Los Angeles. His wife (Michelle Monaghan) is due to have their child there by the end of the week, and apparently, there was some emergency architect gig that’s kept him from getting home. Finally, he decides he better fly out to the West Coast. Arriving at the Atlanta airport, he runs into an imbecile, Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis), a would-be actor on his way to Hollywood. Through a series of mishaps precipitated by Ethan, Peter loses his luggage and his wallet the two men find themselves on the no fly list. With no money, no ID, no credit cards, and no transportation, Peter reluctantly accepts a ride across country with Ethan in a rented car.
A few well known faces show up along the way. Juliette Lewis plays a wasted-out drug dealer in what is probably the most embarrassing role of her career. Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx shows up in a brief role as Ethan’s friend, Darryl. And Danny McBride plays a sarcastic Western Union clerk. We also get cameos from Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, because Ethan lands a role on Two and a Half Men.
While Due Date has brief moments of humor, it’s never sustained. The films central flaw is likely a lack of chemistry between Downey Jr. and Galifianakis. There’s no warmth or depth between the two. No doubt, playing a straight man to Galifianakis’ idiotic character had to be less than challenging. Having said that, Galifianakis deserves credit for playing a unlikable character for all it’s worth.
Overall, I just didn’t think Due Date was all that funny. And I guess Zach Galifianakis isn’t for everybody. His boorish, bawdy act is growing thin. In Due Date, the filmmakers subject us to watching his character masturbate in the front seat of a car. Not funny. This film just misses the mark all around.
Due Date comes to Blu-ray with a MPEG-4 AVC codec. The transfer maintains the film’s original aspect ratio, 2.40:1, but the color and definition isn’t great. The picture looks too dark most of the time; while one can see detail trying to show through, the film’s overall dusky appearance doesn’t always give it or the colors much of a chance.
The lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio attempts to replicate the soundtrack as closely as possible. Impact and dynamics are strong, But the bass can induce a headache if it’s too loud.
Due Date doesn’t include many special features.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 4 minutes): Three extended scenes.
Gag Reel (HD, 7 minutes): A typical assortment of outtakes.
Too Many Questions (HD, 1 minute): A montage of the questions Ethan poses to Peter.
Action Mash-Up (HD, 1 minute): Another montage, this time featuring the film’s action beats.
The Complete Two and a Half Men Scene (HD, 3 minutes): Ethan’s full appearance on his favorite show.
BD-Live Functionality
DVD Copy
Digital Copy
[xrrgroup][xrr label=”Video:” rating=”3.0/5″ group=”s1″ ] [xrr label=”Audio:” rating=”3.0/5″ group=”s1″] [xrr label=”Extras:” rating=”2.0/5″ group=”s1″] [xrr label=”Film Value:” rating=”2.5/5″ group=”s1″] [/xrrgroup]
