DATE NIGHT

When I heard the unexpected news that my girlfriend was pregnant, suddenly, an awful lot changed in my life. My phone number. Where I lived. My name. My age. And most importantly of them all, my viewing habits. Yeah. I'm not twirling your maracas, pal. Just ask the Director: Shawn Levy; or the Actors: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, and James Franco. But please, only in 2010 and for 88 minutes.


Date Night

THE STORY:

Picture the scene. Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) are waiting in line to get a table at a swanky New York restaurant. When suddenly -- 'TRIPPLEHORN' -- they hear a waitresses call out a name that doesn't seem to be answered. Tempting Phil to swipe this reservation as soon as possible, just so he and his wife can brighten up their rather mundane existence together.

Ops! Big mistake.

Out of the blue, Phil and Claire are approached by two goons who presume they're 'The Tripplehorn's', and that they have in their possession a flash-drive with incriminating evidence on it.

Granted, the Fosters do try to explain to them that they're not they people they seek. But the goons don't listen to them. No. Not at all. Forcing Phil and Claire to run around town like a gaggle of headless chickens, attempting to save their own asses, whilst figuring out what in damnation's is really going on.

Yeah. You name it. They do it. They slap. They steal. They smash. And they get into all manner of mischief during their travels. Yet, if truth be told, things only really pan out for them both, when they eventually track down one of Clair's shirtless friends -- Holbrooke Grant (Mark Wahlberg) -- who uses his computer savvy to find the people that caused this confusion to begin with: 'Taste' and 'Whippit' Tripplehorn  (James Franco and Mila Kunis).

Still. That's most probably why what next transpires all gets a bit emotional when two couples collide. As goons get up to no good - it helps when you have a boy in the hood - a lap dance ultimately leads to love - and please remember, folks, on occasion marriage can sometimes fit like a glove. 

THE REVIEW:

Now I have to be honest with you, folks, the only real reason that I watched 'Date Night', was because it had Steve Carell and Tina Fey in it. Well, I'm a big fan of theirs. And I've always loved watching most of the things they're in.

But in this case though... hmmm... I'm a bit confused if truth be told. Personally speaking, I found the overall film a bit lop-sided in places. It was funny, yet not laugh-out-loud funny. It told a story, yet it was a story that was quite mumbled in execution. And it was good, yet not enough good as I hoped it would be.

Shame. As I wanted this film to be a lot better than it was. Honestly I did. But for the life of me, all I can really say about this comedy is that it was a good comedy. Nothing more. Mainly because the script was too jumbled and jovial to really know what it wanted to be.

I mean, was the premise about the union of marriage? Or was it a bold and comical adventure full of mirth and mayhem? Better still, was it an amalgamation of both of these statements? Trying it's best to be a bold and jovial adventure full of mirth and mayhem about the union of marriage!

Oh! I don't know. I'm lost. I really am. I'm trying my best not to say anything negative about this flick; because I love all of the actors in it. Still. That's most probably my problem, huh? Expectation. I was expecting a really funny film with Steve and Tina, but what I got instead was a fairly good film that I hoped would be much better than it actually was.

Hey! Don't get me wrong. All of the more 'personal scenes' with Tina and Steve were the best parts of this piece. And I really got a kick out of the way they fed off of each other on a comedic level. Plus I have to say that Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, and Mila Kunis, were good in it too. Even if their respective role's were either too conceptual or too fleeting by nature.

Anyway, enough of me trying to knock my own brain into sink. Before I say something I shouldn't, here, let's have some filmic-facts. (1) '20th Century Fox' first released this $55 million dollar production on the 9th of April, 2010, and clawed back $152.2 million dollars at the box office. (2) Loosely translated, this project was entitled 'Day and Night' in Japan; 'Broken Date' in South Korea; and 'Crazy Night' in Sweden and France. (3) Most of this movie was shot on location throughout the American states of New York and California. In New York you'll see Time Square and Manhattan, whilst in California you'll see Vallombrosa Drive, Pasadena, plus South Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. (4) If it wasn't bad enough that the infamous dance scene between Steve and Tina was largely improvised, to make it even more awkward, the director, Shawn Levy, shouted obscure phrases at them whilst sitting behind his camera. (5) This was the third movie Shawn Levy directed with the word 'Night' in its title. The other two were 'Night at the Museum', both one and two. (6) Despite having a wardrobe assistant, Mark Wahlberg was shirtless throughout this entire project, cleverly shot so his Bob Marley tattoo -- situated on his left shoulder -- was never seen. (7) Its entirely possible that Tina Fey wore a 'University of Virginia' T-Shirt in this flick, because this was the educational establishment she graduated from in 1992. (8) Even though it's not a widely used Israeli name, the character of Natanya was named after a city located in the center of Israel.

Overall 'Date Night' was a fairly good film. The good parts were good. The bad parts weren't. And I suppose it is well worth the watch if you are a fan of Steve Carell and the always adorable Tina Fey. What do you say about that obligatory blooper reel?

Ha! Nuff said.

THE RATING: B-