The movie actually starts out good. We are introduced to two men on a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles - Peter (Robert Downey Jr.), who is an expectant father anxious to return home to witness the birth of his first child, and Ethan (Zach Galifianakis), who initially comes across as a quirky and confident wanna-be actor with the ashes of his recently deceased father in tow.
However, about 15 minutes into the flick, Ethan's character inexplicably changes into a stupid, sad and reckless individual, and once problems start to arise, Peter becomes dark and mean. Of course, these types of unlikeable personalities do not work well in comedy, and this is a big reason why the movie fails to deliver. For a majority of the screen time, Peter is bloodied and exhausted from a number of serious injuries, and having to endure watching this just saps-out any humor.
Nor is there any shortage of unimaginative and crude comedy rip-offs that just didn't work. The movie "Vacation" contains the classic scene where everyone asleep in the car wakes up after bumpily (but safely) reaching their destination not realizing that Chevy Chase was asleep behind the wheel the whole time. In Due Date, it doesn't work because, when Ethan falls asleep behind the wheel, he totals the car and nearly kills himself and Peter in the process. Another great comedy scene is in "Meet the Parents" when Ben Stiller accidentally knocks an urn off the mantle, and the cat pees in the ashes. In Due Date, the scene where the ashes are mistaken for coffee grinds is not particularly original, and Ethan's constant grieving over his dead father is depressing. Also, there is no comparison between the hysterical wake-up scene in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and the crude masturbation scene in Due Date which falls flat.
Although Robert Downey Jr's acting is brilliant, this was supposed to be a comedy and it's hard to feel happy or amused after watching this movie.
However, about 15 minutes into the flick, Ethan's character inexplicably changes into a stupid, sad and reckless individual, and once problems start to arise, Peter becomes dark and mean. Of course, these types of unlikeable personalities do not work well in comedy, and this is a big reason why the movie fails to deliver. For a majority of the screen time, Peter is bloodied and exhausted from a number of serious injuries, and having to endure watching this just saps-out any humor.
Nor is there any shortage of unimaginative and crude comedy rip-offs that just didn't work. The movie "Vacation" contains the classic scene where everyone asleep in the car wakes up after bumpily (but safely) reaching their destination not realizing that Chevy Chase was asleep behind the wheel the whole time. In Due Date, it doesn't work because, when Ethan falls asleep behind the wheel, he totals the car and nearly kills himself and Peter in the process. Another great comedy scene is in "Meet the Parents" when Ben Stiller accidentally knocks an urn off the mantle, and the cat pees in the ashes. In Due Date, the scene where the ashes are mistaken for coffee grinds is not particularly original, and Ethan's constant grieving over his dead father is depressing. Also, there is no comparison between the hysterical wake-up scene in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and the crude masturbation scene in Due Date which falls flat.
Although Robert Downey Jr's acting is brilliant, this was supposed to be a comedy and it's hard to feel happy or amused after watching this movie.
