When Phil and Claire Foster decide to rekindle their love and take chances on a date night things get a bit wild. Regretfully, not ‘wild’ in the way you’re thinking of. Not wanting to miss a chance to take his wife to a really fancy restaurant, Phil steals the reservations of another couple. Having a good time, the couple soon finds out that their minor stealing escapade may cost them their lives. Two men mistaken the Foster’s for the actual couple who should have had their reservations and demand the return of a USB drive that contains information previously owned by a mob boss. Instead of dining they’re on a race to save their own lives and find a way to clear up this entire mess.
When I first saw this trailer online I felt an instant connection to the couple. If you’re married with children you certainly understand the day-to-day routine that a married couple with kids go through. There are barely moments where you can talk with each other and in those brief moments it’s not enough to keep a connection. So much hustle and bustle in every day life that when there is a ‘date night’ it’s your only real chance to impress your spouse. So, the set-up for Date Night is completely believable. Having Steve Carell and Tina Fey as the main players in this comedy help push that belief even further.
Each actor has had a role as a parent doing their best to keep their lives together. Both are old enough to fit the role of parent and each brings a charming bit of real-life spunk to their specific parent figures. Tina Fey’s down to earth personality and quick wit make her the perfect mother in this film. Steve Carell’s goofy personality and ‘know when to be serious’ moments drive him as Phil Foster. The casting of Phil and Claire could not have been more perfect.
The problem comes when the Fosters are on the run. With no particular logic involved the two gunmen showing up randomly at the restaurant to accost the pair is a bit much. The reason behind that is not easily written, even though it is attempted. The reaction by the couple is a bit much as well, especially when Claire runs to a client, Holbrooke (Mark Wahlberg), for random help. Date Night breaks apart at the beginning of the film and never fully recovers. It becomes merely a gaggle of giggles and never a solid story that flows well together. With such good actors leading the way you would think the producers, director or even writers would have given a bit more thought into the cohesiveness of the story arc. These days comedies suffer from this type of spotty humor and lack of story; Date Night is regretfully no different.
Now, that’s not to say you won’t enjoy what you see. Again, the lead characters certainly bring a really strong presence to the story. Fey and Carell do their best to keep the story together, but even their talents aren’t enough. Still, you might really enjoy what they do onscreen together (not like that!) in terms of comedy; that might be enough to sustain you.
As for the Blu-ray version of this film, it was good — not great. The film was shot on video and transferred to film, so instantly there is a graininess problem to begin with even before you move it to HD. When you see it in HD that graininess magnifies a bit. There are more beautiful moments in HD than not, though. In terms of an overall look it’s just good; not great.
Finally, the features are probably the strongest part of the Blu-ray. Here’s what you get:
●Gag reel
●Extended Car Chase
●Directing Off Camera
●Date Night PSAs (three versions)
●Directing 301 with Shawn Levy
●Audio Commentary with Shawn Levy
●Deleted Scenes
●Extended Scenes
●Disaster Dates with the Cast
●Steve and Tina Camera Tests
●Live Lookup
●Digital Copy
In the end there is a lot to enjoy in the special features for the Blu-ray. You get a bit more with the Blu-ray. The gag reel is really good (as it should be) and th extended car chase isn’t too bad. I really like the PSAs and the directing 301 feature as well. The audio commentary is good, with some insight from Shawn Levy. Overall, really a good set of features that make the Blu-ray worth it.