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No Rush to See Due Date

Zach Galifianakis polarizes critics

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 5, 2010 1:31 PM CDT

(Newser) – Is Due Date this year’s Hangover? Not really, the critics say; it’s more “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles for the road rage generation,” writes Elizabeth Weitzman in the New York Daily News. Reviews are mixed, with only 40% of critics liking it but 75% of fans approving at Rotten Tomatoes:

  • It’s a “recipe for nutso fun,” writes Peter Travers in Rolling Stone. Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr. “gift Due Date with something rare in any kind of movie: a soul.”

  • Due Date is “kind of like the Odyssey, but with masturbation jokes and vomit,” notes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. She’s not particularly impressed, but “Galifianakis is good enough to make you almost forget the movie.”
  • Weitzman disagrees, calling Galifianakis’ character “obscenely irritating” in her Daily News review. “Like the direction, the script veers all over the place before reaching its inevitable, unsurprising destination.”

In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, left, and Robert Downey Jr. are shown in a scene from Due Date.
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, left, and Robert Downey Jr. are shown in a scene from "Due Date."   (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Melinda Sue Gordon)
Actors Zach Galifianakis, left, and Robert Downey Jr. attend The Cinema Society screening of Due Date in New York, on Monday, Nov. 1, 2010.
Actors Zach Galifianakis, left, and Robert Downey Jr. attend The Cinema Society screening of "Due Date" in New York, on Monday, Nov. 1, 2010.   (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, left, and Robert Downey Jr. are shown in a scene from Due Date.
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, left, and Robert Downey Jr. are shown in a scene from "Due Date."   (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Melinda Sue Gordon)
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The movie's trailer.   (YouTube)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
UmbrellaExecutive
Nov 6, 2010 3:31 PM CDT
Zach Galafianakis is one of those people that are ruined because of people that are so fucking fanatical about him. He's been the same asstard in ever movie since the hangover. He's funny, but by no means can carry a movie on his own. I also hate these movies that have a premise where normal guy for some reason tolerates insanely idiotic moron guy the entire movie. Dinner for Schmucks is a good example of this. Steve Carrell's character was so over the top that movie detached itself from reality. In real life someone would have killed Carrell's character before letting him continue to fuck his life up. I have a feeling that this movie is the exact same with Galafianakis' character.
Nxxxx
Nov 5, 2010 4:32 PM CDT
A latecomer to a lot of things, I only saw the Hangover last week. It was piss-funny. This is cut from the same cloth, so I'd watch it.
UnrighteousFury
Nov 5, 2010 1:44 PM CDT
Galifianakis should stick to stand-up. He's amazing on stage, but generally pretty terrible in movies.
 

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