Written by Alex Sukhoy for Film Slate Magazine. Thursday, 4 November 2010.

Sometimes a film trailer is so funny, audiences flock to the theater, opening night, to be the first to indulge in what promises to be a hilarious comedy that will take people away on a two-hour journey of absurd escapism. And, sometimes, the trailer is the best a film has to offer, leaving the audience slouching, craving a stronger escape next time. While “Due Date,” directed by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover,” “Old School”), doesn’t exactly live up to its trailer, it delivers enough laughs to keep audiences in their seats.

Starring the talented and versatile Robert Downey Jr. as Peter Highman, a regimented man eager to get home from one coast to another to arrive in time for his wife’s (Michelle Monaghan, “Made of Honor”) due date.  And co-starring the always in character Zach Galifianakis, as Ethan Tremblay, the comedy’s premise aligns with the classic “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”

Ethan, a loner, whose only dream in life is to be a Hollywood actor and who, at all times, carries with him his little dog and a coffee can that contains his late father’s ashes, continues to get the duo into trouble.  Watching Peter’s reactions to each escalating obstacle only fuels the energy of the story. If Peter wants to see the birth of his first child, he needs to give up some of that control, heavily contrasted by Ethan’s laid-back attitude.

Filled with every kind of road trip scenario possible – damaged cars, cash shortages, fast food, ridiculous strangers, and law enforcement – the film offers some surprising, comical moments that literally made the audience laugh so hard that hearing the dialogue was almost impossible. One of the most uproarious scenes of “Due Date” is also one of the calmest involving Ethan and Peter driving at nighttime and Pink Floyd.  Enough said!

Additionally, the supporting cast, including Jamie Foxx, as Darryl, the questionable yet loyal, wealthy friend and Juliette Lewis, as the whacky Heidi, a character-type she’s now recurring in numerous films,  adds spice to the sometimes-predictable adventure.

Banking on the well-deserved success of the perfectly structured and cast “The Hangover,” now being produced into a sequel, “Due Date” will, no doubt, add itself to the DVD shelves of the American population, destined to be viewed and quoted for years to come, in all due time.

DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips SCREENWRITERS: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel, Todd Phillips CAST: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis MPAA RATING: R