Date Night (2010)
Starring Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Common, and Ray Liotta
Directed by Shawn Levy
And Steve Carell. While I haven't watched The Office on a regular basis, whenever I catch it in syndication, I find the whole thing incredibly amusing. Your character Michael Scott creates a hilariously uncomfortable atmosphere that has put the series on my Netflix Instant Queue.
And yet, when the two of you comedians combine in the film Date Night, it's amazing how absolutely unfunny you both are. When given an opportunity, you certainly can elicit laughs. Just look at the scene where you both pretend to be strippers in a seedy club. Who knew sexy robot dancing would make me crack up as much as I did? But beyond the sexy robot, I hardly cracked a smile while watching this flick in which the two of you play a homely married couple from New Jersey who are mistaken for another couple on the run from some corrupt cops, local politicians, and mobsters. While watching, I couldn't help but think of childhood film favorite with a similar plot -- Adventures in Babysitting -- and wishing I was watching that instead.
Granted, it's not really all your fault, Tina and Steve. Director Shawn Levy (whose previous claim to fame are the godawful Night at the Museum films) doesn't exactly have a great eye for comedy. Sometimes (as in the aforementioned strip club scene) he lets the two of you run wild to great effect. However, at other times, he doesn't reel you in enough. There seemed to be many moments where he let you run free which caused some scenes to go on for what felt like an eternity -- an eternity devoid of any laughter.
The plot is ridiculously convoluted, too, which I realize might have restrained you both from your full potential. That being said, Tina and Steve, take my advice and stick to your day jobs.
The RyMickey Rating: D
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