Film: Due Date
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Manoghan
Director: Todd Phillips
Rate: Good

Sudipta Dey
In this festive season one wouldn’t want to spend much time on a serious, thought-provoking film. A light, entertaining film will be more suitable and Todd Philips’s (director of Hangover) Due Date gives you just that.  If you expect it to be another Hangover you will be disappointed. The story is a little weak and the comedy lacks the punch it had in Hangover. But nevertheless, the dialogues are smart and Due Date has its own rewards.
Robert Downey Junior and Zach Galifianakis make an interesting pair. Downey plays a meticulous architect Peter Highman who needs to get to LA to be with his wife as she delivers their first child. On the other hand, Zach is the complete opposite. An effeminate wannabe actor Ethan Tremblay, who wants to get to Hollywood to become a successful actor. With a curious turn of events, they become partners and embark on a road trip.
If you just look around you, you will find that life abounds in comedy. Following this simple logic, Phillips finds comedy in every tragedy that the pair encounter. Zach here again plays the junkie, and the reason for all adventure that follows en route. They end up breaking every law (probably 60), get beaten up, locked up. Their car gets wrecked and they encounter every possible mishap that you would want to avoid on a road trip.
The unlikely couple develop a bond after facing tough situations together, which might otherwise seem a bit puerile. Downey suits the character perfectly, and Zach is an absolute delight. Watching him would make you hate him completely, but there are moments when you would relate to him as well.
The script could have been better, but it still manages a few laughs. “I’m sorry we drank your father…” and the repartee, “At least he tasted good!” is the winner, I think. “What are you? a girl or somethin’…” would give a good laugh.
The soundtracks deserves a special mention. Though it is a cliché to use a Floyd for the part when they were smoking pot, but it definitely adds another dimension to the scene. Everyone has their own playlist for a road trip, mostly consisting country music or blues. You probably would not ignore the music.
The film ends well, with not a scratch on Ethan but Peter ends up with three fractured ribs,
broken hand, stitches in his armpit. It ends with the same dream it began with — a bear
eating the umbilical cord of his wife.
Anyways, the film is a mindless entertainer, a good one for those who are takers of American comedy. It’s worth a watch.