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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Due Date (2010) in Movies

Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)  
Due Date (2010)
Due Date (2010)
2010 | Comedy
6
6.6 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Last year, Todd Phillips brought us The Hangover. Along with its massive success, it helped turn its three lead actors into even bigger stars. Included in that line up was Zach Galifianakis, stand-up comedian turned actor who now seems to be Phillips go to guy. So how could Galifianakis possibly top being in the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time? He teams up with the man who became known for his portrayal of Tony Stark in Iron Man and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr, for the most outrageous comedy of 2010.

Seeing Robert Downey Jr in a film like this after his career exploded from doing Iron Man seems more outstanding than it really is. Or maybe it's just the mere thought of seeing the lead actor from some of the past few years biggest blockbusters in an R-rated comedy that features his character get high and be extremely ill tempered throughout its duration is entertaining in itself and strangely liberating. There isn't source material to follow that if strayed too far away from could cause fans to go into an uproar. Due Date is an original film and it just seems like doing comedy after two superhero films and a film based on the world's most infamous fictional detective would be creative freedom of sorts.

There was some concern that Zach Galifianakis' character in Due Date would be too similar to his character in The Hangover to really deliver a lot of laughs or be distinguishable in comparison. Truth be told, both characters are extremely similar but it works so well. Galifianakis is so funny, it hurts. Ethan Tremblay's ignorance is really what makes the film so incredibly ridiculous, over the top, and just downright hysterical. The blossoming friendship between Peter and Ethan is where the heart of the film truly lies though. The chemistry between both RDJ and Galifianakis is what makes so many scenes in the film so great. Watching Peter be in agony over having to deal with Ethan and his eccentric ways is pure comedy gold.

An interesting note about the film is that nearly every scene from the trailer is in the film. With all the alternate takes and deleted scenes that get shuffled around these days before a film gets released in theaters, that's saying a lot. It does make you wonder what sort of extras will be on the DVD and BD versions of the film though. One scene comes to mind that wasn't in the film, but that's it. Everything else that you've probably memorized ("You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.") is in there.

A few scenes to be on the lookout for, Peter has a certain way of dealing with the kids of a local drug dealer named Heidi (played by Juliette Lewis) that is sure to get an outstanding reaction from a packed theater. Also, the film puts an awkward yet priceless spin on the simple act of masturbating . There are so many gloriously preposterous things that transpire in the film that it should give you plenty of material to talk about with friends for days.

It's safe to consider Due Date as this year's The Hangover and that should definitely be taken as a compliment. It's the same director and one third of the main cast, but Due Date manages to set the bar for ludicrous acts achieved in film. Zach Galifianakis will provide most of the laughs, but it's the chemistry between both him and Robert Downey Jr that makes the comedy feel a bit more genuine than other comedies out there.
  
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Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies

Nov 25, 2019 (Updated Nov 26, 2019)  
Joker (2019)
Joker (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama
9
8.5 (147 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
And the Oscar goes to...
First things first, you can not start a review of Joker without mentioning the lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck. I would say he is probably an evens favourite to take home the best actor Oscar at next years ceremony.

As for the movie itself, Tod Phillips take on Joker almost feels like a tribute to early Martin Scorsese movies, with the most obvious being Taxi Driver & The King of Comedy, both starring Robert De Niro who also appears here. This is certainly not a bad thing as they are brilliant pieces of cinema, that will stand the test of time. As will Joker in my opinion for it's excellent cinematography & gritty authenticity, I think people will still be talking about this movie for many years to come.

There are a few very slight flaws that I could point out. The first being that because it is so Scorsese like, for me it loses the feeling of being set in Gotham city and just feels very much like we are in New York city. Secondly the Wayne's and Alfred are very much portrayed as the bad guys in this movie, in my opinion I felt myself siding with Arthur/Joker a little too much maybe, which makes you lose all sympathy for the reason Batman became the Dark Knight in the first place. Last but not least the very controversial choice of adding a Gary Glitter song at a pivotal point of the movie, is a strange choice to say the least.

Overall Joker is an exceptional character study of a very disturbed individual with many mental health issues, add to that a superb performance by Joaquin Phoenix and I think you have a movie that will only get better with time and become a genre classic. With the huge box office success, I just hope DC keep this grim, very true to life approach for their future Batman projects.