Since Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are hilarious, there is an assumption that by putting them together and throwing them timely one-liners, the result will be twice the hilarity.
Bad assumption. Formulas for comedy do not work that way. However, the blame for "Date Night" which opened nationwide last week, does not fall on Fey or Carrell; they certainly made the best out of mediocre writing.
Actually, the writers and directors should be thanking Carrell and Fey because they are the only two who could have managed to make this movie at least funny and enjoyable.
The premise-an average, bored married couple, Phil and Claire Foster, attempt to have a romantic and glamorous night on the town, but a case of mistaken identity turns their date night into a dangerous and life-threatening adventure-manages enough excitement and mystery to make the movie interesting.
Claire and Phil pose as a no-show couple to get a seat at a posh and snooty Manhattan restaurant, but the goons after the no-shows lack the intelligence to see that Claire and Phil Foster really are Claire and Phil Foster. So the chase begins.
From crooked cops and the mob to weird politicians and Mark Wahlberg's random security-guru character, "Date Night" offers a sufficiently entertaining adventure for a date night.
Though some scenes and conversations were unnecessary, and sometimes the lines felt forced, "Date Night" still qualified as funny. The movie just was not as funny as I expected it to be, nor as funny as it could have been.
Again, only the natural talents of Carrell, and especially those of Fey, saved this movie from being a dud. They were fun to watch, especially in the takeouts during the credits. But putting aside the disappointment that "Date Night" will not be one of those comedies I can watch over and over again, "Date Night" offers something besides comedy that is worth seeing.
How many married couples feel stuck in a rut, or fear they have merely become excellent roommates, as Phil's friend describes his failed marriage? After discovering their good friends will be getting a divorce, Phil and Claire start questioning their own foundation.
The unexpected adventure the couple endures together forces them to acknowledge underlying problems in their relationship, but more importantly, the challenges they face remind them they are still in love. "Date Night" is a refresher many couples need these days.
Sometimes forgetting you're in love means you stop acting like you are. Fortunately, for everyone else, they can watch the movie instead of running for their lives all night to remember that.[[In-content Ad]]
