Due Date (2010)

 Released just this past Friday, November 5th, 2010, Due Date pairs Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. with The Hangover's Zach Galifianakis for a trip across the country.  Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter Highman, an architect working on a project in Atlanta who is about to fly home to L.A. just before his wife gives birth to his first child.  On his way to the airport, a reckless driver smashes the door to his chauffeur's car right off its hinges and out steps Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis).  From the very moment they meet and switch bags, Tremblay does everything possible to rub Highman the wrong way.  After being put on the no flight list, Highman must figure out a way to get home to his wife and, having left his wallet on the now airborne plane, has no choice but to embark on a cross country road trip with Tremblay.  The entirity of the movie circles around the odd couple sort of interactions between Downey Jr. and Galifianakis.  Galifianakis relies on a dead pan, inappropriate, almost demented humor at times, which is quickly juxtaposed against Downey Jr.'s more harsh, blunt comedic delivery.  Galifianakis' most funny moments come with his inappropriate laughter and through Ethan Tremblay's atrocious acting skills of which his favorite line seems to be "What are you, a girl or something?"  Downey Jr.'s more funny moments, however, come when he is "seeing red" and tearing Tremblay a new or, my favorite, when he hits a child and says, "Play cool or I'll thump you again."

The comedic duo seems to play off each other relatively well throughout the entire movie, but never really seem to click as a dynamic all that often.  Rather, they play as two separate entities with their own individual moments.  However, one particular strength of the film is its unexpected sentimental moments.  Throughout the movie, Galifianakis mourns over the recent death of his father, and at times it is incredibly heart wrenching.  These moments are often broken up with quick one liners, such as Tremblay saying "Dad, you were like a father to me," but more often then not they linger around to really make the audience feel something.  There are some great shocker moments as well, as can be expected with Galifianakis.  Downey Jr. brings a bit of class to the movie, but also counteracts the ignorant, well intentioned Galifianakis incredibly well by being almost the exact opposite: intelligent, blunt, and impatient.  Other cameos in the movie make the movie more enjoyable such as the brief appearance of Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis, Danny McBride, and Matt Walsh.

While Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis manage to make an interesting duo they don't really accomplish anything that any other odd couple type of movie hasn't.  They can, however, be placed on par with other favorite odd couple movies released this year such as Dinner For Schmucks and The Other Guys.  There are definitely some wow moments and to see the relationship between the two protagonists develop is both entertaining and heart warming.  I would recommend going to see Due Date in theaters, but if you want to wait for it to come out on DVD/Bluray, I wouldn't hold it against you.  Without doubt, though, you should see it.  No?  "What are you, a girl or something?"