Rated: PG-13
Grade: B
“Date Night” follows the story of Phil and Claire Foster, a married couple bored with their mundane suburban lifestyle. In an attempt to make life a little more exciting, Phil, played by Steve Carrell (Get Smart), offers to take Claire, played by Tina Fey (30 Rock) out for a dinner in Manhattan. Through a stolen reservation, they find themselves confused for the Triplehorns, a couple who has stolen a flashdrive containing incriminating evidence. Unable to trust the corrupt NYC police force, Phil and Claire are thrust into an adventure across New York City that includes a car chase, breaking and entering, and Steve Carrell pole dancing.
The plot of this film is extremely predictable so don’t show up to the theater expecting to be blown away by the storyline. They have stereotypical married couple fights, such as “Why were you staring at that shirtless guy?” and “Why don’t you ever help around the house?” They try their first plan, it doesn’t work, their second plan doesn’t work and leads to a car chase, and then third time is the charm, after Steve Carrell’s character attempts to impress DA Frank Crenshaw, played by William Fichtner (Prison Break), with some sassy pole dancing moves.
The script is clunky in some areas by allowing Fey a good amount of time to show off her improv skills. It’s very obvious where these script holes occur, as the entire plot stops for the amount of time it takes Fey to deliver her lines sometimes not completely relevant to the plot. However, she is funny enough that it doesn’t diminish the film too badly. “Date Night” is less about the storyline, and much more about the performances of Carrell and Fey. It seems as if the parts of Phil and Claire were specifically made for these actors, as they are perfectly cast in the roles.
Fans of Steve Carrell and Tina Fey will not be disappointed. Both play the part of bored, irritated parents well and mothers in the audience will enjoy Tina Fey’s execution of the “123” rule with her children. Separately, both actors have a unique awkwardness that drives their comedic talent. They become the quirky married couple with ease. Some of their jokes fall flat, but most are delivered well and get a good amount of laughs, especially when Fey ad-libs the stories of the people dining around her and Carrell in the restaurant. In comparison, the rest of the cast is underdeveloped and unmemorable. Even a shirtless Mark Wahlberg will be forgotten in light of Fey and Carrell’s comedy.
Overall, “Date Night” is a good slapstick comedy. If you like Tina Fey and Steve Carrell, it is definitely worth seeing in theaters. Even those who do not like Carrell’s high energy, loud comedy might enjoy this film, as Fey’s appearance seems to tone down his outrageous behavior rather than exaggerate it.