Due Date (2010) R

Acclaimed director Todd Phillips' (The Hangover, Old School) new comedy Due Date was supposed to satisfy our funny bone before The Hangover Part II drops next May. Instead it may be Phillips' weakest film yet. He has a great résumé that also includes Starsky & Hutch, Road Trip and School for Scoundrels. Four screenwriters are credited (including Phillips), and that's usually a bad sign. It has to be very difficult to write a script with three other people trying to put their two cents in. Fresh off his fame from The Hangover, Zach Galifianakis (Out Cold, Up in the Air) stars opposite Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes). There's no denying the capabilities of these two funny men, but chemistry was lacking. The few special effects that are used are quite good, but it doesn't make up for the lackluster script. That's not to say that this film isn't fun, but it just isn't hilarious like other Phillips films.

Downey Jr. plays Peter Highman. Peter is on a business trip in Atlanta. He boards a plane headed for his home in Los Angeles in anticipation of the birth of his first child. His wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) eagerly awaits. He bumps heads with the grizzly Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) before the flight, and Ethan mentions the word "bomb" and sets off a panic on board. A Flight Marshal apprehends Peter for his involvement in the conversation.

Peter gets released after an interrogation, but all his belongings (including his wallet) were on board. So, Peter is stuck in Atlanta without any money or an ID. He attempts to steal a rental car, which is unsuccessful. Ethan, who also got booted off the plane, is also at the rental dealership and offers Peter a ride to Hollywood. Against his better judgement, Peter excepts his offer and the two head out on a road trip.

At this point in the film the laughs were very scarce. Peter calls Sarah to assure her that he will be there on her due date. Peter and Ethan argue for hours on end as Ethan asks hundreds of personal questions and speaks without thinking. Ethan claims he has glaucoma and he needs marijuana to survive the trip. So, in Louisiana they stop at a dealer's house that Ethan found on craigslist. The dealer, Heidi, is played by Juliette Lewis (Starsky & Hutch, Whip It). She demands Peter to watch her two children. While Ethan chooses the type of kind bud he wants, Heidi's boyfriend Barry (Todd Phillips) walks in. He immediately pokes fun at Ethan's perm. Meanwhile in the other room, Heidi's crazy kids begin hitting Peter with toy snakes and won't get off his back. So, Peter punches her son in the chest. Sounds insane, but it was actually one of the few funny parts in the film. A thing to mention is that Ethan is carrying his father's ashes in coffee can, which plays a large role in the film.

They set back out on the road and stop at a motel later that night. However, Ethan's credit card gets denied because he spent all of his money on the drugs. They are now down to about 40 bucks, which won't get them far. Sarah attempts to wire them some money, but Ethan's ID says Ethan Chase on it. It turns out that Tremblay is the acting name he goes by, so the transaction is denied. They must do the process all over again but Lonnie (Danny McBride), the cashier, closes down shop for the night. From there, they get into a bit of a tussle despite the fact that Lonnie's in a wheelchair.

The next morning, Peter contemplates leaving Ethan at a rest stop. Peter actually does, but he changes his mind and turns around. One of the reasons he does so is that the coffee can is still in the car with him. Later, Ethan falls asleep at the wheel and they go flying through the air and completely trash the car. Peter badly hurts his arm, so he calls his friend Darryl (Jamie Foxx), who lives in Dallas, to pick him up. So, the three of them ride to Dallas where Darryl lends his SUV to Peter. Before that they all share a cup of Ethan's father, which Darryl thought was coffee. On the way to L.A. they accidentally end up at the border. An abundance of marijuana is on board, and Peter and Ethan are subsequently high. They're in some serious trouble, how will things unfold?

Downey Jr. and Foxx (Ray, Jarhead) are reunited once again (The Soloist), but they also have little chemistry while on screen. A few of the usual suspects from Phillips' films are back, including Matt Walsh (Road Trip, Old School) and the before mentioned Lewis. Nobody seems to be on top of their game here, excluding Monaghan (Eagle Eye, The Heartbreak Kid), who is always charming. A few good moments in the film are ruined by stupid plot-twists, especially a terrific scene in the Grand Canyon. Some of the jokes start good, but have no punch-line. For me, this film ranks with School for Scoundrels as Phillips' worst. But I actually liked that film, despite Jon Heder. That film was at least consistently funny and didn't try to be something it's not. This film pretends to be sentimental, but these characters are phony and the characters are hard to like 90% of the time.

Listen, Phillips will bounce back and these actors will as well. I'm not saying this film is unwatchable, but in all honestly it's not very funny. However, the film is good-looking, it does have its moments, and although the cast isn't on top of their game it's still a good cast. My honest recommendation would be to rent it and wait for the release of The Hangover Part II.
C+