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(MA15+) ***
Director: Todd Phillips.
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Zack Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Juliette Lewis, Jamie Foxx.
ANY time I've mentioned this film to people they've responded with a "huh?".
Strange that the buzz around this is so low, especially considering Downey Jr is the (Iron) Man Of The Moment and director/co-writer Todd Phillips scored a mega-hit with The Hangover last year.
Maybe the makers of Due Date are trying to keep the film on the low-down lest people realise its premise is borrowed from Planes, Trains & Automobiles - uptight businessman must travel cross-country with talkative loner/loser to make it home by a certain day.
Downey Jr is Peter, an architect who is planning to fly home to LA from Atlanta in time for his wife's scheduled caesarian section. But thanks to the accidental efforts of Ethan (Galifianakis), Peter is added to the No Fly List and soon the stranded pair are sharing a rent-a-car, bound for LA, where Ethan hopes to follow his dreams of becoming an actor.
Naturally, shenanigans ensue, and for the most part Due Date is pretty funny. A lot of this boils down to the comic timing of Downey Jr and Galifianakis, who share a great chemistry, with both equally at home with the laughs as they are with the film's emotional notes.
In fact, Galifianakis' dramatic chops shine through, particularly in one of the better serious scenes, where Peter makes Ethan demonstrate his acting skills, leading to a poignant insight into Ethan's loneliness. He may just be The Crazy Bearded Guy From The Hangover to most people, but given the right role, he could be a serious contender.
Much of humour is obvious, but some of it is outlandish and dark - few films will push for laughs from fighting someone in a wheelchair or spitting on a dog - and Due Date does struggle to find a balance between its light and shade, while maintaining a "bromance" tale as well.
It's a bumpy ride, but Due Date is a road movie trip worth taking.