Date Night

With a couple of hours to kill at the mall in Austin, the timing worked out perfectly and Melissa and I were able to squeeze in “Date Night.” Despite plenty of problems, the movie was pretty funny overall.

What’s the Deal: Tina Fey and Steve Carell play the Fosters, a suburban married couple. They have stressful jobs, children, a couple of hobbies, become exhausted, and get stuck in the proverbial “rut.” In an effort to bring a little spice/variety into their marriage, they try to go to a romantic dinner in Manhattan. When the swanky restaurant they try to eat at can’t seat them, they take someone else’s reservation. Then, of course, they are mistaken for the people whose reservation they stole, who happen to be criminals, and hilarity ensues. Sometimes.

Things I liked:

1. Before the “date” starts, it’s actually funnier (incidentally, this could also be something I didn't like.  But I figured I'd be positive): the 20 or 30 minutes before the crazy date starts were actually much funnier than what happened during the “date.” Their children, jobs, book club, Tina Fey’s retainer…t’s all funny stuff. Also, before they go on this wild date, they go on a much tamer one to a laid back applebees-style restaurant in the suburbs. Again, their conversation here is really funny.

2. Tina Fey and Steve Carell: Especially Tina Fey. This is a pretty weak script, but these two stars make it much, much better.  Also, there is an outtake reel during the credits, and no two takes were exactl;y the same.  It seems they did a lot of ad-libbing.  Good for them. 

3. Minor Characters are also funny: James Franco and Mila Kunis make appearances as the druggies whose reservation the Fosters stole, and they are loud and crazy, and really funny. Also, the Mark Wahlburg subplot, which you have no doubt seen from the previews, gets the job done. 

Things I didn’t like:

1. It’s all in the previews: Seriously. Did you know that Mark Wahlberg answers the door with his shirt off? Did you know this because you’ve seen it on ever preview and plug ever? That’s right, you did. That would probably be a really funny bit if you didn’t know it was coming a mile away.

2. Too much yelling. (director). Take a look at this guy’s film history, and you will see a bunch of “comedies” that are not funny. Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum 2, Just Married, The Pink Panther. It seems that this guy doesn’t really know what’s funny. In fact, he seems to live by the oh-so-wrong assumption that louder and/or busier is always funnier. So how is this movie funny? The stars. It’s easily distinguishable what parts the stars make funny with their dialogue delivery, and what parts the director ruins with ill-timed screaming, screeching, explosions, and crashes. (I’m thinking of the car chase scene, which almost gave me a headache).

3. Kristin Wiig: She only has a small part, but I do not like her in anything she’s been in yet, including this. Saturday Night Live skits, (not that I watch that often anymore) take a noticeable nosedive when she comes on screen.

4. Script problems. It’s not hard to think of funnier situations that these two people with the wrong identities could have been placed. Oh well. Also, don’t pretend that any of this is plausible in real life. That helps your enjoyment of the movie. Just relax, turn your brain off, and laugh at Tina Fey.