A 'Date' With Comedic Royalty

You don't need me to tell you that a majority of today's romantic-comedies are not what they used to be. Many of them are presented without any imagination, and that takes the fun out of watching them. For some time now, they have become too dull and formulaic. Sometimes the viewer has to question, is the film's lack of energy at the fault of the writing or the actors? Nowadays, it's mostly the writing that's the problem, with the actors as casualties. Once in a while, however, the romantic-comedy genre can surprise us, like with the films of Judd Apatow. It's latest surprise is Date Night, the new film by director Shawn Levy, starring the charming Tina Fey and outrageous Steve Carell. Since Fey and Carell star in two of today's most successful TV comedies, 30 Rock and The Office, it was only too appropriate to have them in a film together. The result is a refleshingly hilarious comedy.

Steve Carell and Tina Fey are Phil and Claire Foster, an average, middle-class couple from New Jersey. Day by day, they go to work, keep their house in order, and take care of their two children. Lately, they have been feeling that their marriage is in a rut. The couple just goes with the flow as their lives become more and more predictable (much like the rom-com genre). Urging for something different, the couple goes to an upscale restaurant, but can't get a table. Not willing to give up, they steal a reservation from a couple called the Tripplehorns. They don't know, however, that the Tripplehorns are wanted criminals. Of course, as with anything starring Carell and Fey, much hilarity ensues. What starts out as the Foster's weekly date becomes a night of mistaken identities as the Fosters race to clear their names. And it's a riot.

Never is there a dull moment whenever our two leads are on screen, because they have established themselves as true comic actors years ago, and can practically carry a movie all by themselves. Fey and Carell make their comedy seem effortless as they play-off of each other, which makes their entire romp through the Big Apple a joy to watch. The Foster's adventures are complete with some amusing characters, even if they are only seen for a few minutes. Kristen Wiig is a friend of the Foster's whose marriage is also on the rocks. As with her roles on Saturday Night Live, she continues to prove that she can offer plentiful laughs for only a few moments of screen time. James Franco and Mila Kunis have a greatly comical scene together as the white-trash Tripplehorn couple. In a comedy where Fey and Carell dominate, the pairing of Franco and Kunis don't have any problem having their wit shine as bright as our two leads when they all share a scene together.

In the end, it's Fey and Carell who make this comedy work. They make the film watchable when any other pairing of actors would have made this a disaster. One might consider them today's king and queen of comedy; and with such prestige, the two made what might have been a stale narrative feel new to the audience. When they are not busy making us laugh on their popular sitcoms, Fey and Carell should take the time to do a few more rom-coms. In doing so, they can easily help in making the genre as enjoyable as it once was.

Final grade: B+