REVIEW: Laughs are few in ‘Date Night’
“Date Night,” it would seem that this movie was given such a title in order to present itself as the answer to the awkward first-date movie conundrum for the typical college student. Can’t decide what to watch? Hollywood solves that problem and presents a movie that will provide an enjoyable Friday night date and hopefully produce a kiss at the door. Sadly, the promise of a good date movie snares the eager innocent and, after seeing this particular flick, the kiss at the door is downgraded to a side hug.
“Date Night” starts off rather ordinarily with the introduction of Claire and Phil Foster (Tina Fey and Steve Carell), a typical married couple who find themselves in a mid-life slump. The romance and excitement of newly married life has long worn off and been replaced by the routine of full-time jobs and taking care of their two kids. Desperate to breathe new life into the once-passionate relationship, Phil decides to take Claire into the city for a date night she won’t forget. Once there, they head to a new, hip restaurant but are unable to procure a table due to their lack of a reservation. Refusing to admit defeat, Phil notices there is a reservation for a Mr. Triplehorn not being claimed and boldly decides to take it for him and his wife. But as the situation takes a dangerous turn involving some dangerous men looking for Mr. and Mrs. Triplehorn, Phil and Claire quickly discover that perhaps this case of mistaken identity is not worth the price they are being asked to pay.
The most common element mediocre films have in common is a bad script, and “Date Night” keeps the trend going. While it did have a few lines that caused a wave of laughter in the theater, they are few and far between. The majority of the dialogue is predictable, cheap and misplaced, coming from two comedians that are much funnier than the script gives them credit for. In fact, there’s a suspicion that the one-liners that cause the audience to laugh were, in fact, created on the spot by the actors themselves. It’s no secret that Fey and Carell are gifted comedians, but they shouldn’t be expected to constantly recreate the jokes within the script to make them more entertaining; that is what the screenwriter is for. In this case, it wasn’t the actors who were lazy and making everyone do the work for them; it was the script. Talk about a prima donna.
The biggest problem with “Date Night” is the story as a whole. Movies are never going to be 100 percent realistic, but the audience doesn’t want to feel as though their intelligence is being insulted. The twists in the story are incredibly far-fetched, which contributes to it winning the “Trying So Hard It’s Almost Uncomfortable” award.
“Date Night” is forgettable. It doesn’t leave a lasting impression and will probably wind up collecting dust in the entertainment center after it’s fished out of the discount bin at the grocery store. And this is disappointing because the audience wanted this movie and the actors within it to succeed, not fail. “Date Night” had the potential to be a very funny movie but, unfortunately, it didn’t feel up to the task. The length of the film is only one hour and 28 minutes, but, like a bad date, it has a tendency to make time drag. While there is no accurate way of predicting whether a Friday night date is going to be worth your time, there is luckily such a tool for a movie. That being said, the outlook for “Date Night” is looking worrisome, and it is recommended to the reader that on this upcoming Friday, keep it a night in.
– jen.goods@gmail.com