Make a Date Night to See Date Night With Your Date...Tonight...

As an engaged man approaching a Summer wedding, I’m more than aware of the amount of jokes related to how “romance is almost over” for me. However, after watching a movie like Date Night, I’m made aware that it’s not that romance is over; it’s just that life (and in this case, Kill-shots) can sometimes get in the way.

Steve Carell & Tina Fey play The Fosters: a happy, albeit slightly bored married couple, with two children, who have to schedule their dates… often times forgetting they’ve done so. After friends reveal they plan to split, The Fosters, worrying they’ll endure the same fate, decide to change it up a bit. Rather than hit up their usual New Jersey date night watering hole, they head for Manhattan for a night on the town at a swanky new restaurant. There’s only one problem: they don’t have a reservation.

So, while waiting for a table (which they’ll never get) they decide, in the spirit of spontaneity, that they’ll take a table reserved for no-shows, The Tripplehorns. From here comes mistaken identities, car chases, gun fights and a shirtless Mark Wahlberg. The basic premise is as far-fetched as what transpires on the screen, but it’s made believable, or at the very least acceptable, because of the way Carell & Fey play it. The two leads show great chemistry and comic timing and you believe them as the Fosters - a couple in love that just wants the best for each other.

Tina Fey essentially plays the suburban mom version of her character in 30 Rock (which is perfectly fine) but Carell is especially great as Phil. He takes all of the awkwardness and despicable qualities of Michael Scott and trades them in to play a down-to-earth regular Joe with just enough charm to make you want to be friends with the guy. It’s almost as if her were playing the role of Jim (pre-management position, or course) from the Office and making it his own.

Sure, it’s silly and things get over the top, but this is a comedy; as long as you laugh, who cares if that car chase isn’t at all possible. I laughed a lot, and I admired the heart of the film. If you don’t see your own relationship played out on screen, you will most likely know someone to compare it to. At the very least, you’ll walk away learning one valuable lesson: don’t take someone else’s reservation.

3.5 Dented Bumpers*



*Crash’s Film Rating Legend:
5 DB’s -- Freaking Fantastic! (a rating that’s not easily attained, btw)
4–4.5 DB’s -- Great: It’s worth seeing again/owning.
3–3.5 DB’s -- Decent – Good (I’d watch it again on cable)
2–2.5 DB’s -- Meh; (possibly had potential, but I won’t watch it again)
1DB -- Awful; I want my money back.

Anything less is not even worth downloading illegally