Review: Due Date

BY ARIEL SMILOWITZ

Like pretty much every road trip movie that preceded it from Planes, Trains and Automobiles to the director Todd Phillips own Road Trip, Due Date throws two mismatched people together: an uptight jerk and an immature, fun-loving guy. Although the plot was quite predictable and unrealistic, Due Date successfully manages to pull a lot of laughs from the audience.

Due Date centers on Peter Highman (played by Robert Downey Jr.), who is on his way from Atlanta to Los Angeles in order to be there for the birth of his first child. Unfortunately an incident on the plane causes him to miss his flight. As a result, he is put on the no-fly list, forcing him to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (played by Zach Galifianakis) across the country, where they each bring out the worst in each other, all while dealing with one obstacle after another on their way to California.

Both Robert Downey Jr. and funny-man Zach Galifianakis are seemingly perfect for the movie. However, they took their roles a little too far: Downey Jr.’s character was such a jerk that he had no redeeming qualities, while Galifianakis was so immature that he came across as a child throughout the movie. In the end, it didn’t matter whether Highman was able to make it home or not, as his nasty attitude failed to arouse any sympathy for his plight. On the other hand, the plot was very hard to believe, considering Tremblay created so much trouble, including an incredible car crash that would have left both men dead and a highway chase by the police that never led to any legal consequences.

Nonetheless, the movie’s outrageous plot was saved by the actors’ staying power. Even though the characters were incredibly childish, Galifianakis and Downey Jr. were extremely funny. As a result, the situations they managed to create were so ridiculous that they ended up being hilarious. In the end, if you want to have a good laugh, Due Date is worth a trip to the movies.