Due Date: Movie Review

Due Date: Movie Review

Due Date
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Danny McBride, Juliette Lewis, Sunny the Dog
Director: Todd Phillips
From the director of The Hangover comes this new road trip film.
Robert Downey Jr is Peter Highman, an uptight businessman and father to be who just wants to get home to his wife who's about to give birth to their first child.
But his chances of doing so are ruined when he bumps into Zach Galifianakis' aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay. Within minutes of meeting, Peter's been arrested at the airport on suspicion of drug-smuggling - and then thrown on the no-fly list after a misunderstanding leads him to be considered a terrorist.
In each case, Ethan's nearby; so, when Peter finds he has no wallet, no passport and no hope of getting home in time for the birth, he has no choice but to accept Ethan's offer to road trip across America.
But the real problem is that every time Ethan opens his mouth, Peter's blood pressure rises and he edges ever closer to a breakdown - and his life falling apart.
So the road trip flick is rolled out once again and, this time, with some extremely funny moments.
The pair have an abrasive relationship that works well on the big screen - Downey Jr continues his star career by managing to imbue his uptight daddy-to-be with a few tender moments; and Zach Galifianakis continues to rock the deadpan humour he's becoming so well know for.
Everyone else in the film is pretty much reduced to cameos as the unconventional duo head out on the road - the best of them is Danny McBride (but to say much about that would spoil it).
There are plenty of comic situations which are mined for the best effect possible - and the audience will love them because of their unexpected nature. The script is also snappy and smart, with some frankly ludicrous moments that work because they don't feel out of place or shoehorned in.

Due Date is going to work best for you if it's an end-of-night treat with a few of the lads - the two leads are engaging, there's some hilariously unexpected dialogue (which you'll be quoting for days afterwards) and it's one of those popcorn good night out kind of films. It's also like a road trip in many ways - there are some good moments and there's also the moments where you wonder: "Are we there yet?"