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Zip your hole!
Date Night is ripe full of potential. Steve Carell is one of the funniest, wittiest actors living today, and that drew me right into this flick. Tina Fey has never really been on my radar until just recently, so I wasn't even thinking about her role in the film. She'd been on "30 Rock" and I'd seen a couple episodes of it, but didn't find it intriguing. Everyone knows Steve Carell's hilarious, dumb-witted character from "The Office", as Micheal Scott, and a good majority of his fame came from that show alone. On paper, "Date Night" is comic gold, a cult comedy hit for years to come. They could've taken many different directions, and only a few missteps prevented it from being memorable.
The story follows a married couple, in Carell and Fey, as they go through each day doing the same repetitive things over and over, realizing they're falling apart as a happy duo. You can see signs of a worn down marriage throughout the film's duration. They often argue about silly stuff, have trouble with their two kids, and don't often feel like having inter-course any longer. They seem tired and fed up, whilst at the same time they try to mask their real emotions towards each other. They plan a weekly night out with just the two of them, where they can unwind without kids, and just live life a little. The story doesn't take long to figure out, and moves at a rapid pace. It throws you right into their comedic adventure, making "Date Night" very easy-going, not requiring much thought. They reserve a spot at a fancy restaurant where only V.I.P members are allowed. They manage to get a table, just not a "Special" one. They have a long, somewhat hilarious conversation about numerous things, including the customers sitting around them. The first section of this movie is really good. It sets everything up perfectly, and the whole premise was structured with some thought put into it. The story then proceeds with the couple pretending to be a different couple named the "Triplehorns", feeling like they aren't getting enough fun out of life. That is absolutely a ridiculous, unrealistic element, but it's easily overshadowed by the fun characters.
Unfortunately, most of half number 2 consists of overused, rather lazy plot devices, idiotic/cliched characters, and a predictable outcome. The couple are confronted by two gangsters, hired by a mob boss to gather something from the Triplehorns. Comedy ensues right there in that alley, pitting Carell and Fey against two criminals, and trying to explain the real story. That scene has some value, and had me laughing. They continue their quest in finding out who the real Triplehorns are, stopping by many places, including one of Fey's close friends, played by Mark Wahlberg, and he actually puts up a good performance.
"Date Night" is definitely a fun film. I enjoyed it for what it was, but found the by-the-numbers direction quite frustrating. I laughed a good chunk of times, while at the same time found a lot of the dialogue very unnecessary, and they could've easily implemented something more original. As for the characters; most were your stereotypical dummies, and could've been something special, especially James Franco and Mila Kunis. I wouldn't call Date Night bad, as a lot of people will like it. I just really couldn't stand certain things about it, with the exception of Steve Carell who managed to take this movie all the way. The depth isn't there, nor are any original elements involved, but "Date Night" will appeal to a lot of audiences due to the innocent humor between Carell and Fey.
5.7/10
