Film Review: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis Are an Odd Pair in Funny ‘Due Date’

Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version

CHICAGO – There is a strong temptation to lead this review with “Hey, ‘Due Date,’ ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ just called, they want their plot back,” but this Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis star vehicle drives on its own strange vibe, part road trip and part comedy that depends on suspension of all reality. Yet it mostly works.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Robert Downey Jr. portrays Peter, an agitated businessman on a trip to Atlanta, hoping to get back to his McMansion in Los Angeles as his pregnant wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) is scheduled for delivery. His plans are thwarted by a well meaning schmo named Ethan (Zach Galifianakis), who accidently switches a bag with Peter at the airport which contains marijuana, and also causes enough of a ruckus on an airplane to put them both on the no-fly list.

Stuck in the rental car lot without his wallet (conveniently left on the plane), Peter accepts a ride from Ethan, who is on his way to Hollywood to be an actor. The straitlaced businessman is immediately put off by the oddball acting hopeful, who prefers to travel with his dog and his dead father’s ashes.

The wacky adventures the two get into is based mostly on Ethan’s complete lack of ethical sense. Separated from his pot at the airport, Ethan makes a pit stop in Birmingham to buy some more from Heidi (Juliette Lewis), but spending all his money on weed leaves the pair without cash. After a raucous encounter with a Western Union representative (Danny McBride), Ethan also wrecks the car after falling asleep at the wheel.

After the accident, Peter manages to call his friend Darryl (Jamie Foxx) in Texas to pick them up and suspects that his longtime friend’s relationship with his California wife may have more implications than meets the eye. This naturally leads to an incident on the Mexican border after Peter and Ethan resume their road trip, as they race against the clock to be in Los Angeles for the birth of the baby.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Due Date”

Couple’s Therapy: Robert Downey Jr. as Peter and Zach Galifianakis as Ethan in ‘Due Date’ Photo credit: Melinda Sue Gordon for © Warner Bros. Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Due Date”