Release Date – 11/5/2010
Peter Highman is about to fly home from Atlanta to Los Angeles to witness the birth of his first child. At the airport he meets an aspiring actor by the name of Ethan Tremblay. They get off to a rocky start when Ethan gets the two of them kicked off the airplane and put on the ‘No Fly’ list. Unfortunately, Peter’s luggage (including his wallet) is left on the plane heading to LA without him. Things start looking up when Ethan offers Peter a ride across country. On the way, Peter realizes he may have met the oddest, most annoying man to ever live. So he has to deal with Ethan’s odd behavior and suck it up in order to make it home in time. The movie is The Hangover meets Plane,Trains and Automobiles. But the mixture makes it a lesser comedy than the movies that spawned it. There are some extremely funny parts but there is also some surprising drama mixed in with some comedy that misses the mark. Its really hit or miss but still enjoyable for the most part.
Robert Downey Jr. plays the role of Peter Highman, the straight man, meaning the serious guy who is forced into comedic situations against his will. He’s the Steve Martin character when comparing to the aforementioned Planes, Trains and Automobiles. He has an anger issue and the John Candy of Due Date, Zach Galifianakis as Ethan Tremblay, is always testing him by getting them involved in ridiculous situations. Galifianakis once again cracks me up with another oddball character. At this rate, I don’t think the guy will ever be able to pull off any other role. As Tremblay, he wants to be an actor but has never tried acting (What are you a girl or something?), he wants to spread his dead father’s remains at a monumental location (his Dad was always like a father to him) and most importantly he wants a friend. He tries his hardest to make small talk with Peter on their long journey but they really have nothing in common. The movie is all about these 2 characters interacting with each other. A few cameos here and there provide for some laughs, just not much. Most of the funny comes from the way Galifianakis and Downey Jr. play off of each other. Just the two of them on screen worked best for me. Oh and I have to mention the French Bulldog (because I’m owner of one myself) who was almost like a non-speaking supporting character throughout the film.
Director Todd Phillips was hot off the press of his hit comedy The Hangover. And we know the guy likes ensemble comedies (Old School, Road Trip) but here he concentrates on only 2 characters, each on a different side of the spectrum. It works for the most part but not enough to garner the praise he got for last year’s big hit. Galifianakis does prove he can keep the funny rolling but since he’s a very similar character as Alan from The Hangover, I don’t know for how long it will last. In a year that has only provided a few MADE comedies, this is another that just misses the mark but its safe to say it could still make the Top 5 at the end of the year. That may just be a testament to this year’s lack of great comedies and not saying much for the film itself. While its not as great as The Hangover and not as memorable as Old School, and it wont go down as a classic like Plane, Trains and Automobiles, it doesn’t really HAVE to be compared to anything. It’s a funny movie and an enjoyable watch. It might be the sleeper comedy that gets better with every viewing. I’ve already had several conversations quoting lines and laughing all over again. I welcome any Todd Phillips comedies into my life.
IMDB – 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 40%
Movie Wiseguys – 7.5/10