Steve Carell and Tina Fey are just a boring married couple from New Jersey. They have two kids, their own jobs, and hardly have time to talk to each other. Just like many other couples, they have to schedule time together just so they can have time together so they have their regularly scheduled date nights. But when Phil Foster (Steve Carell) hears about his neighbour’s marriage troubles, he feels like he has to do something different to spice it up and save his own marriage. Unknown to Phil, Claire Foster (Tina Fey) also learned about their neighbours’ troubles so she got dolled up for her next date night. There it was, an opportunity for Phil to surprise his wife and do something completely different. He decided they weren’t going to their typical run of the mill local restaurant…they were going to that new edgy seafood restaurant in the city!
The plot is your most basic of plots…one crazy night that just keeps getting crazier. Along the way, one funny thing leads to another hilarious moment and it just keeps getting bigger and more outrageous including one of the most ridiculous car chases I’ve ever seen in a movie and best pole dance scene too! The couple ends up in a twisted blackmail scheme involving some really bad guys who think they’re somebody else. The movie flattens out in the middle, but by the end, it all ties together and you’re laughing with everyone else in the theater. Granted, many of the laughs feel a bit guilty as they throw in toilet humor with words you wouldn’t repeat in front of your mother (even though this movie is rated PG-13). The best and loudest laughs come from the scenes where you can tell the characters are improvising and going off script. You can tell their having fun and that translates through the screen. The best laugh actually comes from the outtakes at the end of the film, so stick around for that.
Tina Fey and Steve Carell in Date Night
There are many great supporting actors and cameos in this movie like Mark Wahlberg, Common, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo and William Fichtner. They all add different elements to the film and you smile when they all have their introductory scenes. None of them can match the comedic powers of Carell and Fey, but they do add laughs and move the movie along. Pay close attention to see Nick Kroll and Olivia Munn who you may not expect or recognize…but they’re both great in the movie! And girls…you’ll want to go to this movie just for Mark Wahlberg…his character doesn’t like t-shirts.
Mila Kunis and James Franco in Date Night
This is definitely not the best comedy ever made but it’s good enough for a good night out…maybe even a date night? (sorry, had to throw that in there) It’s great for older couples who may be going through the same thing and younger couples who just want to hear crude jokes from recognizable stars they see on TV. Steve Carrell and Tina Fey truly carry the movie themselves and this would be a bomb without them, but with them, it’s worth checking out.
Tags: Common, Date Night, James Franco, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Nick Kroll, Olivia Munn, Steve Carell, Tina Fey
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
