Customer Reviews

Date Night (Two-Disc Extended Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

In order for a movie packed full of unlikely plot-developments and general silliness like DATE NIGHT, a cast that's easy to love who have razor sharp comic timing and mastery of their tone is needed. Fortunately, Steve Carrell and Tina Fey meet all three requirements, and thus, DATE NIGHT works on many levels.

Carrell and Fey play a nearly middle aged married couple with kids. They have a comfortable suburban life, and are still fond of each other, but they are also clearly just a bit worn out by life. "Date Nights" for them consist of going to a local steak restaurant, with worn-out décor and no sense of romance whatsoever. And in time-honored, clichéd tradition, they wonder if they are still in-love with the other...because they see their closest friends getting divorced. I hate the way Hollywood likes to make us think that no long term marriage could possibly still be happy and fulfilling. True, raising a family and nurturing a career and paying bills and time do take their toll...but mature couples embrace those things. They don't shake their heads with regret over the wild and crazy times they may have missed.

Anyway, I clearly digress. One day, Carrell decides to shake things up just a bit, and invites his wife to go "into the city" to try out a hot new restaurant they've heard of. Naturally, when they arrive, with no reservations, they are treated with withering disdain by the staff...but Carrell hangs in there, and when the name "Tripplehorn" is repeatedly called by the hostess to no avail, Carrell declares that he and his wife are the Tripplehorns and they are seated and begin to enjoy a lovely evening together. Then they are approached by a couple of thuggish men, who escort them to the alley and begin to rough them up. Because apparently the real Tripplehorns are engaged in blackmail, and they are being hunted by some bad men. Thus, Carrell and Fey embark on a pretty wild and crazy Date Night...one in which many silly moments of physical comedy happen to them and equally as many unlikely plot twits.

If you're going to see this movie for a coherent crime drama about two amateurs who foil a crime syndicate...you'll be disappointed. But if, like 99.99% of the people attending, you're hoping for some good laughs and high-quality banter...you'll be mostly pleased. Carrell & Fey deliver and then some. Although these two performers have not really worked together before, they both share a past history with Chicago's famed Second City Improv group, and their comic sensibilities blend together quite nicely. They can take some pretty mundane writing, and produce some remarkable laughs. While I won't go so far as to say that Carrell and Fey (the actors) are clearly affectionate towards each other...you can certainly see the appreciation for each other's skill on their faces. Carrell, in particular, gets a real twinkle of delight in his eyes when Fey delivers a great line. There is nothing serious in their performances, but there is a warmth and camaraderie that are infectious.

They are ably assisted by many good cameos, including a hilarious scene with James Franco and Mila Kunis and a recurring appearance from Mark Wahlberg, who plays a government security consultant (e.g. CIA) who has a lovely apartment and an apparent unwillingness to wear shirts. While Wahlberg isn't really asked to do much except allow Fey and Carrell to react to him...he shows a humor about himself that is often missing in his persona. The invaluable William Finctner shows up later, as does Ray Liotta, playing the character Ray Liotta always does.

The movie also features an unlikely but very funny car chase. Your enjoyment of it will greatly depend on your willingness to utterly suspend disbelief....but if you do, it's funny enough to cause a pain in your side. Other moments of physical comedy fall flatter, even when Fey & Carrell are funny, the stuff they are asked to do sometimes isn't. Again, in lesser hands (say, oh, Gerard Butler & Jennifer Aniston), this movie would be nearly intolerably shrill. But in the end, it's a wonderful tribute to the skills of its two stars and while it's not a classic screwball comedy, it is still well worth your time.

"Date Night", starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, directed by Shawn Levy. While the movie didn't quite hit the status of one of my favorite movies Shawn directed, "Cheaper by the Dozen" it was an adequate night out. By the filled theater, mostly with the middle aged to older crowd, I am sure this movie will be a commercial success. I personally don't know if it lived up to the hype but it did make me laugh out loud a few times.

Phil (Steve Carell) and Clair (Tina Fey) Foster are your typical middle aged couple. They have two kids, live in the suburbs and are caught up in the daily routine of keeping the house churning along. Groceries, soccer, dentist appointments etc. fill every waking second outside of working two jobs. What American couple doesn't work two jobs in our society today? One of the first scenes has them debating whether to have sex or not. When Clair pulls out her night guard, that just happened to remain connected to her mouth by a string of saliva, I died laughing and felt nauseous at the same time.

The couple venture off to Manhattan one night in an effort to shake things up a little, and that is where things venture down a wrong path. Not being able to get dinner reservations they take on another couples identity in order to snag a table. Who hasn't raised their hand at one time or another when a name is called, even if it were not your own. Unfortunately the couple they were pretending to be was in trouble with the mob and a few city officials. The rest of their evening and well into the morning is spent being chased by two gun toting police that just happen to be working for the bad guys.

Mark Wahlberg might have played my girlfriend's (and every other woman's) favorite role as the all knowing city dweller. He just happened to help them out a few times and spent the entire movie walking around with his shirt off. Yes he does look damn good but he intimated Mr. Foster and every other man in the theater watching most likely. My girlfriend was unable to pull her gaze from the screen when he opened his apartment door half naked. The rest of the story was a little shaky on substance, but it was put together more to garner a laugh than to stroke substantive thinking.

Overall the movie is worth a few laughs with not much depth of story. It can't even approach an all out great comedy like "Old School" or "Hangover" but it is humorous enough to be worth watching. It is definitely geared to the older married crowd. I think anyone under the age of 25 might not find all of the parental couple jokes quite as funny. Damn, they might not even get them at that age, who knows.

Let me start off by saying Tina Fey and Steve Carell are two of my favorite actors. I have seen almost all of their work and you can imagine how excited I felt when I heard they would be starring in a movie together. However, after watching this movie I felt disappointed. It has a few funny moments, but not enough to make it satisfying. The jokes seem to fall short and it got boring near the end. The story was confusing and didn't seem to really flow. On the other hand, I give this movie credit for possessing realistic and relatable characters. It is about the stereotypical boring suburban cople who are finding it difficult to find any spark in their relationship. Their date night gone wrong brings them to realize they still love each other. Overall, this movie is somewhat entertaining, but is ultimately forgettable. Woth a rental if you're bored and can't think of anything else to watch.

Date Night is a hilariously funny comedy about a middle aged married couple out on a date. Unable to get into the restaurant of their choice, they take the reservation of a couple that is a no-show, and thus their troubles begin. Mistaken for the other couple, the pair end up running for their lives. A series of crazy things happen to them as they struggle to make it through the night alive with the pair ending up on a roof top with a group of armed and dangerous killers. The crowning comedic moment is when the wife tells the men to put down their weapons or she will start counting. They are all in disbelief when she actually does and begin to put down their weapons. What makes this moment so hilarious for me is the fact that I have used the counting method repeatedly as a discipline action for my own daughter who always complies by the count of two. The counting really works for me as does this movie.

You know those "Adult" Comedies? The R-rated ones with lots of vulgarity, sex, drugs, and stupid choices? The ones fifteen year old boys love? This isn't one of those. This is a fine comedy for truly mature audiences about mature people who try to make the smartest most responsible choices they can. There's some vulgarity, some talk of sex, a little responsible drinking and none of that drives the movie. Not a great movie, but a really good one - and a truly refreshing change from the idiotic embarrassing pablum usually fed to us.

If you're a fan of Steve Carrell and Tina Fey, you'll probably enjoy this loopy comedy. They play a rather stable and boring couple who are thrilled to have a night out away from the kids. But then, in a case of snagging someone else's table at a restaurant and mistaken identity, things go awry. The awryness allows Steve and Tina to do their comedic schticks which are great fun. However, the plot in the middle got a little too fast and loose for me. I think Carrell's and Fey's comedic gifts are best supported by more plot structure and a better script although a little improv is fun with these two. The movie rallies at the end. I preferred Carrell more in DAN IN REAL LIFE which had a more structured plot and better screenplay I thought. However, this was worth watching and offered up some good laughs.

2.5 stars. I don't usually like Steve Carell movies but I do like Tina Fey. Overall, the movie is moderatly entertaining. There were a few LOL spots and some parts that were painful to watch. The plot gets absurd in parts and the writing isn't brilliant but it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (as my grandmother used to say.)

Not bad but not recommended.

This is in the tradition of the screwball comedies of the 30's and 40's, briefly reborn in movies like "What's Up Doc." The chase scene is actually one of its weaker elements, except for the part where the two cars get locked together, which is hysterical. Yes, the ending is a little pat, but some good points are made. And who cares, if you're laughing along the way? Tina Fey and Steve Carell are in top form; they can do more with facial expressions and tone of voice that most comic actors can do with the whole screen. Of the cameos, the one with the "real" Tripplehorns (James Franco and his wife?) is the real delight. I can't see why anyone wouldn't enjoy it, but I would say this is most likely to appeal to actual married couples--maybe not so much to the younger set, the kids. To those who think the "bored couple" part wasn't funny: you've either never been part of a bored couple (congratulations!) or you're part of one now and can't see the humor in it (sorry).

For probably the last 5-10 years, I haven't seen a good Hollywood comedy. They all seem to be about gross-out scenes, teenage losers, or awkward sexual situations. Fortunately, "Date Night" breaks that trend by combining two hilarious leads with a genuine plot that can be enjoyed on all levels.

For a basic plot summary, this movie follows the exploits of Mr. and Mrs. Foster (Carell and Fey) who (on their one impulse move) steal a dinner reservation from another couple and get drawn into a blackmail plot that has them running all over town looking for a way out.

In terms of comedy, "Date Night" hits on all cylinders, thriving on the unmistakable style of Carell. As so often happens in the world of funnymen, Carell may be completely irrelevant a year or two from now, but currently he is golden. If you like him on "The Office", you'll laugh at this effort as well. Tina Fey also shines in a co-starring role, providing a more direct approach to laughs rather than Carell's subtly.

What really sets this movie apart from others, though, is its heart. This is a film that can be enjoyed at a deeper level than just laughs. It touches on common themes like family, stagnating marriage, and trying to find that youthful excitement in life. Besides the funny business, "Date Night" will make you both think and feel in equal proportions.

Thus, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and highly recommend it to all viewers, especially Carell junkies. It will have you laughing one minute, and contemplating your life the next.

I saw this in the theater twice with different friends and then watched it again last night with my husband. Even on the third viewing, I was laughing out loud. Now admittedly I enjoy almost all comedies (even dumb ones) and I'm a huge fan of both Tina Fey and Steve Carell. If you don't like Frey in 30 Rock or Baby Mama or Carell in 40 Year Old Virgin or Little Miss Sunshine, of course you're not going to enjoy this movie; the actors aren't breaking any new ground here.

I found Date Night not only funny but charming, one of the most enjoyable comedies I've seen recently. While the couple fights at times, ultimately they are genuinely kind and enjoy each other. The humor isn't mean-spirited and snarky, like, for example, Get Him to the Greek or Grown Ups. (I loved Get Him to the Greek, btw, and hated Grown Ups, which was too dumb even for me.) Date Night manages to be warm-hearted but not sentimental or cloying. It's refreshing.

I will say it gets off to a very slow start, showing us how boring the couple's life is, but once Fey and Carell are running around the city, the pace picks up and the movie gets very funny. (Ridiculous but funny.) It's worth watching just for a truly hysterical scene with James Franco and Mila Kunis. Plus, there's the funniest pole dancing scene ever.