Date Night

Date Night, which hosts a cast of shining comedic stars, glows dimly in the face of the high expectations one would hold for such a movie. Carell, who has been the funny man of both large and small screens (40 Year Old Virgin, the American version of "The Office") teams up with 30 Rock writer/star and SNL alumni Tina Fey to star as a dissatisfied New Jersey couple who have hit a rut in their marriage. Trying to ignore the advice of now-separated friends, they venture to New York City to have a Date Night better than the usual salmon and potato skins at the local tavern. However, one simple decision leads them on a roller coaster of a night involving gunfire, strip clubs, and James Franco. Being a fan of both Carell and Fey, I had high expectations that were soon dashed for this lukewarm comedy. It wasn't a total disappointment- there were some funny scenes, lines, and quips- but it was not up to the par that the protagonists have usually achieved with past projects (also, when will Tina Fey realize that she isn't the plain unattractive type she sets out to be?) The action sequences, however, were much more elaborate than I had imagined, which was a pleasant surprise as it distracted me from the fact that I was not laughing as much as I should be. For such seasoned professionals as Carell and Fey, this feature was not at the standard most would set for it. However, if one were to view the movie with relatively low expectations, I'm sure that he/she would find it fairly amusing. While it's not a waste of time, it's not worth paying top dollar to see either.

A self proclaimed boring married New Jersey couple find themselves having a nothing but boring night after they take the Triplehorn's dinner reservations at a swanky New York City restaurant.  This was date night and instead of going to their usual spot they wanted to enjoy this hip and happening place that a couple like them could never get into without a reservation.  Little did they know just how happening this night was going to be.  On the run from dirty cops and chasing down a mysterious flash drive is just the beginning!  Don't underestimate this old married couple.

• This was a fun and funny movie. 
• I love it that throughout the movie even though they are married with two kids and exhausted you can really tell that these two love each other despite life's demands.  They obviously make an effort to keep their marriage together and find out just how well they work together when they end up on this wild night of danger and more adventure then they ever wanted.
• Tina Fey and Steve Carell were quite a funny pair together.  Funny, but also very believable.

Just Me

Given the talent behind it, Date Night really should have been better.

It's a malady that strikes Hollywood films from time to time, and comedies tend to be particularly susceptible. They have a great cast, a witty idea, some truly hilarious scenes - and yet all these elements fail to hang together, creating a movie that looks and sounds great, but somehow never quite entertains you the way you'd hoped.

In the case of Date Night the problem is caused in part by the starring double-whammy of Steve Carrell and 30 Rock's Tina Fey, arguably two of the funniest people working in TV and cinema right now. With the Carrell-Fey partnership at its core, you'd expect Date Night to be the funniest movie of the year, or at least in the top five. Instead it would struggle to get into the top twenty, and no one's going to be counting that as a resounding success.

That's not to say that Date Night is a bad movie - it actually has a lot going for it. It's likely that you'll laugh frequently throughout its 88-minute running time, and some of the cameos (from Ray Liotta, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and James Franco in particular) are as laugh-out-loud funny as anything the comedians can conjure up. Ironically, it's probably a great date movie.

Where Date Night falls down is in its unevenness, however, because it fails to sustain the laughter from scene to scene, and at times Carrell and Fey are the only things keeping the leaden material afloat. As it wavers between amusing SNL-style cameos and outright slapstick the tone jumps around too, making it feel more like an extended series of sketches than a complete movie. This is less like The Hangover, and more like National Lampoon.

Still, any film that actually musters some laughs is cause for celebration in what has been a lacklustre summer. Carrell and Fey play Phil and Claire Foster, an average New Jersey couple whose relationship has slowed down to a near-standstill since the birth of their two kids. When they discover that their close friends Brad and Haley (Mark Ruffalo and Kristen Wiig) are getting an amicable divorce, the Fosters begin to question their own commitment to each other.

Before they have a chance to do anything about it, though, they accidentally get caught up in extortion, prostitution and organized crime, when their night out in Manhattan takes a turn for the worse. What starts out as a rebellious gesture in a restaurant eventually sees Phil and Claire on the run for their lives, as they tackle crooked cops, corrupt politicians, and a ridiculously buff (and shirtless) Mark Wahlberg.

Date Night takes the old chestnut of mid-life crisis and attempts to bake it into something new and intriguing, with mixed results. While the Fosters' concerns about the future of their marriage have their roots in down-to-earth realism, their adventures in a Manhattan almost entirely populated by gangsters, criminals and millionaire crime-fighters stretch our credulity until it snaps.

Somewhere along the way this gritty suburban drama gets crossed with an urban crime thriller, and while hilarity ensues, it quickly grows so unbelievable that even Carrell and Fey sense there's no route left open to them other than outright slapstick.

Date Night has plenty of funny moments, and some truly hysterical cameos, but it never stretches beyond its roots in big-screen farce. Fey can't help looking more convincing on the smaller screen, too. We won't be waiting for a second date.

3/5

RATING 6/10

BOTTOM LINE: Sometimes amusing, but not all that special, “Date Night” is a very average film that looks better than what it is thanks to its strong cast and the chemistry between Carell and Fey.

THE GOOD: The conceit for this comedy is that a boring married couple, Phil (Carell) and Claire (Fey) Foster, suddenly have their lives turned upside down when a moment of impulse gets them embroiled in a dangerous situation involving gangsters and corrupt policemen. It starts when Phil takes someone else’s reservation at an exclusive restaurant in Manhattan. The couple are mistaken for a wanted couple by the mob, and then the fun begins. What makes this film watchable is the chemistry between Steve Carell and Tina Fey; aside from believing them as a married couple, their comic sensibilities resonate quite well off each other, especially as they jump from one tough spot to another. The script also gives them just enough material to make the issue of boredom in marriage a relatable one. The film does venture in to the screwball comedy genre, with one scene in particular involving a car chase proving to be quite funny. “Date Night” is probably worth watching at least once, because its stars make it worth the ride.

THE BAD: Carell and Fey really earned their pay cheque on this film because they are the only reason to watch what goes on here. Without their involvement, and obviously funny improvisations in certain scenes, the film would have been bland and average, offering nothing special in terms of comedy or plot, which is a shame considering the idea upon which it is based is quite a good one. Mark Wahlberg is good in his few scenes, but also completely pointless; the manner in which he is connected to the Fosters, and his ultimate motivation for helping them is simply not believable; anyone else would have told them to take a hike. There are many stupid moments in the film that do not help matters. “Date Night” is a one-view wonder, and it is only worth viewing once because Carell and Fey make it so.

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

In a case of mistaken identity, an average suburban couple out on their weekly date night find themselves in an outrageous ring of crime and mystery.

What was supposed to be a night on the town for Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carell and Tina Fey), quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse during which their mundane life is turned upside down.

Picture a plotline that weaves together a seedy strip club owner, a tracksuit wearing Carell, a crazy car chase, and a shirtless Mark Wahlberg. The possibilities are endless right?

Though Date Night didn’t live up to the comedic potential I thought it had, there were enough funny parts to keep me interested.

While it was really just an average comedy about an average couple in impossible situations, Carell and Fey obviously play off of one another, creating a vibe of natural comedic delivery on screen.

Though Date Night didn’t inch itself very far into the realm of memorable comedies, I would recommend it to anyone who wants a couple of laughs.

As corny as it sounds, Date Night really is the perfect date night movie. It’s light, funny, and won’t leave you arguing about moral dilemmas and political points.

For Carell’s funny one-liners, and because Fey is a great example for women wanting to break into comedy, I’d give this flick 2/5 Light Bulbs.

Last updated: 2010-04-20 05:46:44 by Clarissa3782

When I first saw the trailer for DATE NIGHT, which sees our reigning king and queen of tv comedy go on a date, only for it to turn into a rather action packed night, I hoped that the movie would be more like Steve's GET SMART and less like Tina's BABY MAMA.
The result? Somewhere in between. It's amusing enough, and Tina and Steve are so ridiculously likeable that you don't mind tagging along with them, even if the movie itself is a bit on the lacking side.  I don't think that Tina and Steve were given enough for them to show their full potential. Also, their characters aren't as different from the type of characters they play on a regular basis.

Married, boring New Jersey couple (as per Tina Fey's words) Claire and Phil, live their monotonous lives without an once of spice. They go on "dates" but they're always eating at the same places, ordering the same food, going through the notions basically.  After a book club night at a friend's house, they discover that their friends are separating, because even though they were fine, they had become basically, really good roommates.  Afraid that they are or were heading on the same road, Claire and Phil decide to do their date differently by going to some chic restaurant, putting on some nice-sort-of-sexy-clothes, and well, spice things up.  After they take another couple's reservation, they get themselves mixed up on blackmailing, corruption, etc. and spend the night running.
My main issue with the movie was, that no matter how crazy things got, Claire and Steve didn't really changed, didn't really seem affected by any of the crazy situations.  They reacted, yes, but weren't changed. They were still the boring couple from Jersey, just a tiny bit cooler.
Some of the action scenes, specially the car chase, were very cool and nicely staged, maybe a bit of more action would have done wonders for the movie as well.  Grade: B-

*no spoilers*
The long awaited and highly anticipated meeting of the two NBC juggernauts has come to pass. Tina Fey and Steve Carell were predestined to star in a comedy together sooner or later. While each could stand on their own merits, early trailers didn’t look too promising for their first outing. Even worst, directing the super-pair is Shawn Levy of Night at the Museum and Cheaper By the Dozen (gulp). Would Date Night be a special evening out or a bust?



The dynamic duo stars as Phil and Claire Foster, an ordinary suburban family with an ordinary life. Stuck in the mire of routine, the two set out for their weekly date night. In a moment of spontaneity, they steal another couple’s reservation resulting in a domino effect of mistaken identity. Phil and Claire spend the rest of the night running from the cops and the mob while trying to figure out how to set the record straight. Throughout the hijinks, there is a reoccurring theme about love and marriage which forces the couple to eventually make some changes for the better. 

While I am a big fan of both these actors, I had pretty low expectations. Bringing these two together is almost too good to be true. The crossover of The Office and 30 Rock could never meet my hopes for a uber comedic nirvana. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. While not the pinnacle of either one’s career, Date Night was a fun ride. Clearly resting on the quick-witted shoulders of Carell and Fey, their chemistry is undeniable. It’s almost like they were trying to one up each other in every scene. They were able to strike the right balance of retaining their own identity without over shadowing the other. They kept it fun, simple, and fresh.



The plot is nothing special and most of the movie is typical although there are some nice cameos sprinkled within. There is an awkward car chase in the middle of the movie which was ridiculous and unnecessary. You have to be pretty forgiving of the coincidences and happenstance to make it through without rolling your eyes. Again, it helps to keep the expectations low and this movie would have been nothing without these consumate pros. Not much more to brag on here except that the themes of being in a marriage rut was done well. Anyone that has been married for over 5 years really understands the dilemma these two are in. There is some honest talk around the issue and some decent emotion to help give it weight. The ending is sweet and as a married man, I could appreciate the character arc.

Overall, Date Night is an enjoyable movie for the right audience (married with children). It’s always nice to see the idea of marriage valued and not belittled in Hollywood. It actually made me want to plan a special date with my wife- inspiring the audience of life change is always good.

If you are a fan of Carell and Fey (or Marky Mark’s abs) you should definitely see it. Enjoy it for what it is and don’t be too judgemental and you will have a good time on this date.

Last updated: 2010-04-16 00:45:06 by tonybkim

nullp style="margin: 0px;"null"Date Night" is directed by Shawn Levy.  It stars Tina Fey and Steve Carrell.  Ray Liotta, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Wiig, and Taraji P. Henson have small roles.  Mark Wahlberg's role is somewhere in between.

Steve Carrell and Tina Fey play Phil and Claire Foster, a couple living in New Jersey.  Their lives are a gigantic rut and each week includes the exact same date, at the exact same restaraunt, eating the exact same food.  One night they try to switch things up and go into New York City for a expensive night on the town.  That turns out to be an awful idea as they are mistaken for another couple, who the mob and other people are after.  This of course leads to car chases, gun fire, Mark Wahlberg without a shirt...the usual fare in these kind of movies...so yeah...the title of the movie was pretty darn descriptive.  

First off, Shawn Levy is a horrible director.  He has directed such awful family fare as "Cheaper by the Dozen"...the beginning of Steve Martin's horrible movie period of his career, "The Pink Panther"...a continuation of Steve Martin's infatuation with making awful movies...this time Beyonce is involved, and the two "Night at the Museum" movies...honestly the only reason to see the first one is for Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Cobbs.  With that being said, "Date Night" is a definite improvement over his past movies...which isn't saying a whole heck of a lot... 

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Whoever is in charge of deciding this sort of thing should have definitely had Tina Fey and/or Steve Carrell write the script to "Date Night."  It would have definitely ended better as they both are hilarious, talented people who have had experience writing comedy...Tina Fey has had more experience in case anyone was wondering.  I could tell you the name of the man who wrote this movie, but it would make no difference because no one has heard of him and for good reason...he can't write...the script was very weak and they were not enough quality jokes or memorable scenes.  This is pretty common with comedies these days.  For some reason people can not make a consistently funny, well written comedy...it boggles my mind.  Very little in this movie makes sense...which is fine...it is an action-comedy...and that's to be expected.

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The only reason any human being would ever watch "Date Night" is to see Steve Carrell and Tina Fey.  They were very believable as a couple and successfully played off each other.  Even though they were given mediocre dialogue they were able to make it work pretty well and get basically the only laughs from the entire movie.  Tina Fey flirting with Mark Wahlberg is surprising funny, as is Tina Fey and Steve Carrell pole dancing in a strip club...I'm just saying.  The brief scene with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey with James Franco and Mila Kunis (the Tripplehorn's, the couple the Foster's are mistaken for because they took the Tripplehorn's reservations, and then the corrupt cops went after them), was also a funny part in the movie.  The movie ends with some outtakes...too bad there weren't more of them...they were pretty funny and saw Steve Carrell and Tina Fey improvising some lines.  

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There was a great cast of actors in the movie.  Apparently that's where the money went...it certainly didn't go into this fun thing known as a script.

 Date Night" could have been a lot better given the amount of talent that was there to work with.  The script was extremely poor, but Steve Carrell and Tina Fey managed to make it semi-work...at least their lines...They should really make another movie together and hope that it's better...or make it better by writing, directing, and possibly producing it themselves.  2 stars...one for Steve Carrell and one for Tina Fey.

Last updated: 2010-04-10 10:55:26 by JoeandChrisO

Someone in the production department at 20^th Century Fox  must have been relaxing at night watching the late night comedy of  Thursday night and thought that if they could put the two faces of NBC  comedy together they would have a comedic hit on their hands. While the  box office will probably look favorably upon Steve Carrel and Tina Fey’s  mediocre comedy there is still much to be desired in this flat and  overly played out film. Date Night’s success will have nothing  to do with word of mouth but rather a great marketing casting choice  putting two accomplished late night TV comedians into a comedy and  releasing it when there is a dry climate of comedies in the theaters.  Ultimately Date Night proves that it can be difficult to  deliver witty and original comedy when you’re dependent on who exactly  is cast and latched to the project. This film that centers around a  boring and flat couple wanting to have one night to escape their  tiresome lives ends up being a comedy that has flat and boring jokes,  repeating good comedic lines until they get tiresome and having only two  really good memorable sequences, making Date Night just  another cookie cutter comedy that results in mild entertainment but  nothing more. Any avid fans of “The Office” or “30 Rock” looking for  something similar will surely be pleased but anyone looking for  something new from these two accomplished comedians will be greatly  disappointed.
The plot of Date Night reminds us of a comedic North by  Northwest where a boring couple from New Jersey seems to doubt  their marriage’s spark and then get mistaken for another couple who are  being hunted down by corrupt police officers, a pervert DA, and a mob  boss after a spontaneous decision. There is something quite formulaic  about the story from the introduction of the characters, the counter  couple who are getting divorced, and the attempt to show the lame  attempt at dates the Fosters take every week. Because of its expected  ending and twists the film becomes just a series of rather predictable  comedic gestures, fortunately with a few that are actually well written.  However, the film seems to have established these two characters based  solely on Fey and Carrel’s known counterparts such as Liz Lemon from “30  Rock” and the bemused facial expressions of Michel Scott in “The  Office.” Everything just seems too pre-constructed around this fact and  unfortunately the film just trudges on without even an attempt at  demonstrating original humor. They have a known successful product so  why bother trying to take any risk when you know it will make money the  way it is. It is mechanized comedy and that is the worst kind when these  two have been known to do much better work. But this usually won’t be  noticed in films like these because there is always fast paced action,  shooting, and yelling to distract you from the poorly written obviously  scripted dialogue and role fulfilling obtuse characters.
What more can you expect from a director who made the contrite Night  at the Museum and a screenwriter who wrote the third and awful Shrek film than a dismally predictable display of comedy. The film is  just too scripted and judging from the outtakes during the credits this  film could have been much better with improvisation or a little less  rigidity when delivering the lines. Because Carrel and Fey have to be  portrayed as normal every day people they lose what makes their known  characters successful and that is being quirky, different, and above all  weird. There is a spark in their work when they are allowed to just be  those people that are familiar yet extremely original, and that  definitely includes Carrel’s work in 40 Year Old Virgin or Dan  in Real Life. Both seem to be just trying to repress that inkling  to be out there and different and the film feels strained because of  that tension. When there is tension then the comedic delivery will  eventually feel too scripted and what comedy needs is a natural flow to  it in order to make the actors and audience feel relaxed as the film  progresses. There is a duel criticism on Fey and Carrel obvious in this  film, that they can’t really be all that funny without being eccentric  which means that they are ultimately one note comedians. Both of them  aren’t awful in Date Night, in fact their personalities do help  the formulaic plot and expected comedy, but it just simply isn’t  enough.
Luckily the film has some off beat performances and cameos that work  in its favor in delivering some memorable comedy. Mark Wahlberg is  especially funny if only for the joke about his physique and makes it  even more surprising when he actually speaks Israeli. While everyone  keeps making jokes about Wahlberg’s toned body, sort of making the joke  tiresome by the last somewhat effective delivery, he keeps a level head  with his role and allows his expressions to deliver good comedy. The  last memorable scene is with an extremely humorous James Franco as a  dead beat thief who argues with his hooker girlfriend about supporting  her by stealing wheelchairs as if they were a married couple. Besides  these two making their own sequences somewhat funny, the rest of the  supporting cast is considerably mediocre all the way from Ray Liotta to  the rapper Common. But this isn’t to say that William Fichtner or  Kristin Wiig can’t be funny, because both of them can. It just  unfortunately shows the power of the script and whether or not you keep  dogmatically dedicated to the written word sacrificing a good comedic  performance for a well repeated written line. Sometimes you have to  balance the written plot with good character grounding that allows for  successful and guided improvisation, which Date Night could  have used to its advantage.
Just because you have two comedians who have a well established fan base  doesn’t mean you can use that as a basis for a comedic film script.  This criticism won’t matter unless movies like this don’t end up doing  well and the production department has to go back to the drawing board.  Unfortunately this won’t happen anytime soon since these comedies are  released at the right time when comedies are lacking in the theater and  audiences are looking for an entertaining release. Date Night fits the bill being a mildly entertaining comedy but doesn’t even come  close to the quality we are used to seeing both Carrel and Fey in their  roles on NBC late night comedy. The story of Date Night ends up  being predictable, formulaic, and an example of how comedy is strictly a  simple assembly line creation that doesn’t allow risky material to be  explored falling back on expected comedic situations and cliche  characters.