Due Date: Not on 'The Hangover' level but still worth the ticket

High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child's birth on time. 

First thing that comes to mind after watching this film is the 1987 movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Two polar opposite people that must get along in order to get to their destinations.  Director Todd Phillips (The Hangover) pretty much follows this same path with his new flick, Due Date.

Like Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Due Date takes us on a  journey of the two characters which ultimately provides the heart of the story. You have a stressed out Peter who wants totally wants to ditch and screw over his "newfound buddy" Ethan however the simplicity of  Ethan's minuscule intelligence makes this task a bit difficult. So rather than being two clashing personalities, their relationship remains zestful through the entire film. Plus the storyline is interesting enough to where the predictable gags don't run (nor ruin) the movie.

Don't just think of this movie as just another buddy comedy, but more so think of the fact that these two actors (Downey Jr & Galifianakis) probably would have never worked together any other time, but since they have it creates a perfect equation for comedic success. After seeing Robert Downey Jr in a film like this after his career exploded from doing Iron Man actually gives me more of an appreciation for him as an actor. At least we know he's not trying to be type-casted. It helps to mix it up every now and then. And Zach Galifianakis never ceases to amaze us with his comedic abilities. He just seems to just have that skill. But in actuality it's the chemistry between both Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr that truly makes this particular comedy feel a bit more genuine than maybe some other comedies.

Due Date is certainly funny, but more so on a smaller scale with particular moments and quotes. Needless to say there's never really a dull moment in this movie, despite the fact a few serious moments do exist.

Due Date is a movie that definitely satisfies its audience but not really anything more. And even though the characters do their job in making you laugh,  unfortunately the writing is perhaps somewhat "hit or miss". All in all, it may not be the next "Hangover" or John Hughes quality film but it does make the movie experience worth its while.

Rating:  2.5 Stars out 4 Stars