I like Steve Carell and Tina Fey, so I was interested when I heard they were making a movie together.  After seeing trailers for Date Night, I decided that I definitely wanted to see the movie.

Married couple Phil and Claire Foster have two children and a full life.  They do make a point to have a date night each week, though even that is routine for them since they go to the same restaurant and have the same food.  After finding out that their friends Brad and Haley are splitting up, Phil and Claire decide to try something a little different.  Claire puts more time into getting ready and Phil convinces her that they should go into the city to a trendy new restaurant.

Since they don't have a reservation, they can't get a table.  Claire is ready to leave when Phil claims that they are the Tripplehorns, a couple who hasn't shown up.  During the meal, Collins and Armstrong show up and ask them to leave. Thinking they are being kicked out for taking someone else's reservation, Phil and Claire are shocked when they are confronted at gunpoint about a stolen flash drive.  Phil claims it is hidden in Central Park and then he and Claire manage to get away from Collins and Armstrong.  Phil and Claire spend the rest of the night trying to deal with the dangerous situation they are in.

When Date Night begins, time is taken to introduce the Fosters and show how their life is.  They both have careers and seem to have a busy lifestyle even though nothing exciting generally happens.  They have a routine for everything, even their weekly date night.  They are surprised when they learn that Haley and Brad are getting divorced and that causes them to try something different.  Their need to try to keep their relationship fresh drives most of what happens since that is what causes them to go to the city and the fancy restaurant to begin with.  Once Collins and Armstrong turn up, things get more complicated.  I do think the plot is interesting and entertaining, though it could have been stronger.

Phil and Claire really don't have any idea what is going on when Collins and Armstrong turn up even though they talk about wanting a flash drive.  That does add a bit of mystery to Date Night since it isn't clear what is on the flash drive or how Phil and Claire are going to get out of the dangerous situation they are in.  There is a tiny bit of suspense in one or two scenes without making the movie suspenseful overall.  The little mystery helps to keep things interesting even though some of what happens is predictable.  A little bit of minor violence pops up once or twice without making the movie violence overall.

Date Night is mainly a comedy and I think the humor works really well overall.  The way that Phil and Claire deal with various things adds a lot of the humor.  They end up in some rather bizarre situations that somehow work for the movie while being very funny.  An example of that is the odd car chase they end up in along with a cab driver.  Some of what is done to add humor is a bit silly, but it works for what is going on.  Even though several of the funnier moments have been in the trailers, there are also some really funny things that weren't in the trailers.  Phil and Claire have a little game they play when they go to restaurants that is funny.  When the credits start, there are a few minutes of bloopers that are pretty funny.  A couple of more serious issues turn up every so often.  Those things are dealt with all right for the most, though they do slow the pace down.  The balance between the more serious moments and the funny things isn't as good as it could have been.

Phil and Claire have been married for a while when Date Night starts.  They seem happy enough, though they are in a bit of a rut with how so much of their lives has become routine.  Even their sex lives are scheduled, though it doesn't always work out.  When they try to change things up a bit by going into the city for dinner, things don't go well, but they do still show affection to each other.  There are a few sexual discussions and minor sexual situations.  At one point, Claire ends up dressed like a prostitute and she and Phil do a very unique pole dance.  They go to Holbrooke, a man that Claire knows from her work as a relator, for help.  Every time he is shown, he is missing a shirt.  That is it for nudity in the movie.  Some of the characters do swear, and that includes a version of the word that rhymes with luck.  The movie is rated PG-13, so it isn't family friendly.

Phil does things he doesn't care for because they are important to Claire.  He is use to a set routine, but he is willing to change things.  He does mostly deal well with the strange situations he has to deal with.  Phil is a likeable character and I think Steve Carell is really good in the part.  Claire is very busy with her work and taking care of the house and kids.  She tends to want to handle certain things herself.  She is likeable too and I loved Tina Fey in the part.  Fey and Carell make a very believable married couple and they have good chemistry together.

Holbrooke is a security expert that Claire had worked with previously.  Even though they had a limited relationship and haven't seen each other for a while, he is willing to help them.  Mark Wahlburg does a good job with the part.  Collins and Armstrong are the two men who are after Phil and Claire.  Collins and Armstrong show that they are quick to use violence in dealing with things.  They are not nice guys and make decent villains for the movie even though they are fairly flat character.  Common and Jimmi Simpson are fine in the parts.  

Detective Arroyo is a police detective who gets pulled into what is going on throughout the movie.  She seems like a good cop even though she doesn't have a lot to do.  Taraji P. Henson is fine in the part.  William Fichtner turns up in a few short scenes as DA Frank Crenshaw.  Kristen Wiig and Mark Ruffalo are each in a short scene as Haley and Brad Sullivan, the friends of Phil and Claire who are divorcing.  James Franco and Mila Kunis also have small parts that are connected to what is going on.  

Main Cast

Steve Carell - Phil Foster
Common - Collins
Tina Fey - Claire Foster
Jimmi Simpson - Armstrong
Mark Wahlburg - Holbrooke

Shawn Levy - Director

Date Night has a few issues, but it works as a fun, entertaining movie overall.  I do think it is worth watching for fans of Steve Carell or Tina Fey.

This review is part of CaptainD's Good Movies EpiGuide 3 Write Off.

*This review was orignally posted after I saw the movie in the theater. It is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Steve Carell Reviews
The 40 Year Old Virgin ~ Bewitched ~ Bruce Almighty ~ Dan in Real Life ~ Evan Almighty ~ Get Smart ~ Horton Hears a Who ~ Little Miss Sunshine ~ The Office - Season One ~ The Office - Season 2 ~ The Office - Season 3 ~ The Office - Season 4 ~ Over the Hedge ~

Recommended: Yes