User reviews

The director Shawn Levy sadly doesn't inspire a lot of enthusiasm going into one of his movies. At best he's competent at what he does, and some years back made a halfway clever and original 'movie'-comedy (Big Fat Liar), but mostly has kept to Fox studio commercialism like Cheaper by the Dozen and the Night at the Museum movies. And yet, he (or just the studio) must have had the insight to put together two of the funniest people working right now- not to mention with shows back-to-back on Thursday nights on NBC- Steve Carrel and Tina Fey, because they help elevate anyone's work by a longshot. This isn't to say that Josh Klausner's script may not have some laughs, but where exactly I can't be sure, since most of his contributions would appear to come from the super-conventional story aspects (as my own mother put it, "I don't know, looks like The Out of Towners, or that Blind Date movie from the 80's").

So yeah, basic premise, married couple looking for a little change (their friends are splitting up), go out to 'The City' (NYC of course) and to a very nice restaurant. In a move that could come out of a Seinfeld episode, they can't get a reservation so Carrel overhears a waitress calling for someone else for a reservation and he decides they should take it since they're no-shows. The "Tripplehorns", as it turns out, have some shady dealings with some bad dues with guns, and so the Fosters, our confused heroes, go on the run in the city. Whenever the movie focuses on the core plot of all of this, it's by the numbers stuff, save for a climax that ratchets up the absurdity of everyone involved (including good actors playing decent-to-mediocre baddies like William Fichtner and Ray Liotta).

It's when Fey and Carrel are allowed to play loose with the script that it strikes the iron. Their timing is impeccable, and they have chemistry together, which is crucial. And when they come across some other supporting characters, like Mark Wahlberg's (VERY) shirtless ex-military guy with all of his high-tech equipment, or the "real" Tripplehorns played by James Franco and Mila Kunis, there's further hilarity that ensues from the interactions and precise timing. That's all you need sometimes in a comedy that's based in formula, is two character to at least semi care about (and, perhaps more wisely than a Hollywood rom-com can be given credit for, it has painfully normal characters here, nothing too complicated), and who are funny in semi-funny situations. Even a ridiculous car chase where the Fosters hit a cab and the two are connected bumper to bumper through the streets is funny just because of the acting. Given the right mood and timing they could read a census report and get a few chuckles from the pauses and inflections.

So, if you're looking for something masterfully done, look elsewhere. If you just want to see two stars who are funny be funny almost despite some of the limitations in the script, Date Night deserves a chance. At the least you get to see the two show off their "skills" in a strip-club scene, and, did I mention Mark Whalberg doesn't have on a shirt?

Greetings again from the darkness. Most married couples can probably relate to the grind of a life absorbed with work and parenting. Sometimes the fantasy turns into having a quiet moment of solitude. Heck, even "date night" can devolve into just another responsibility tacked on at the end of a long week. This is the premise for director Shawn Levy's film. The best part? It doesn't matter at all.

The reason this film works is not the plot or script, but rather the talents of the two funniest people in showbiz today: Steve Carell and Tina Fey. The two seem to have an exceptional comedic connection that brings out a timing that reminds of the best comedy teams of all time.

Sometimes what makes for the funniest comedy is putting "normal" people into exceptional situations and let them react. Here, Carell and Fey are just a typical suburban couple trying to re-ignite the luster of an all too comfortable marriage. The motivation comes when their friends (Mark Ruffalo and Kristen Wiig) announce they are splitting. This starts Carell and Fey off on a series of skits that would make Seinfeld proud.

The nightmare begins when the couple "steals" a reservation in a hot new restaurant and assume the identity of, what turns out to be a couple of low level thieves. The multitude of skits that follow include supporting work from dirty cops (Common and Jimmi Simpson), the real reservation holders (funny James Franco and Mila Kunis), a mob boss (Ray Liotta), a corrupt city official (William Fichtner) and a "security expert" in the eternally shirtless Mark Wahlberg.

The approach of the film reminds me of "After Hours", "Adventures in Babysitting" and "The Out of Towners". Some of the best comedy occurs when the main players aren't tossing out incessant one-liners. Think back to Cary Grant's screwball comedies. He was not a bumbling idiot or a stand-up comedian walking through life. His characters were reactionary to the odd-ball situations in which he was placed. That is the approach of Carell and Fey, and I hope they pursue future projects together.

Predictable? Sure, this ain't a comedy that pretends to be more than a vehicle for the comedic abilities of the very likable Tina Fey and the sometimes over-the-top (but not so much in this movie) Steve Carrell.

Aside from the surprising cameos in this show, there aren't much surprises. This is one of those movies where there's a couple that's been in a somewhat fixed circle of boredom in their lives. Heck, even their regular date nights have been very predictable.

Steve and Tina are the Fosters; upon finding out that one of their closest couple friends are splitting up, they try to spice things up by having a date in the city. In a case of mistaken identity, their would-be date night winds up an action-filled, sometimes funny evening. Except for a few scenes, this movie isn't anything innovative; but it's still nice to see Steve and Tina play likable characters.

The producers of this flick know what they have in these two actors, and the movie is enough to give their comedic and acting chops (nothing like Steve's nice acting ability in Dan in Real Life) a little flexing. With this knowledge, I still recommend this movie to those who want to enjoy a little break from the action-3D-filled movies out there now. A little date with your significant other watching this movie would be good.

Tina Fey + Steve Carell = A funny and surprisingly heartwarming film. Their on-screen chemistry is very good. They're basically aces when it comes to playing modern-day parents in ridiculous situations.

"Date Night" is a movie about a couple, named the Fosters, who are running in the biggest rut of their life. They want to spark it up, and decide that one night they will change up the routine.

Date Night has many of the traits I enjoy in a comedy with a good balance of laughs and sentimental value.

The diner scene is adorable and Felt rather realistic. I could feel the relationship the Fosters were experiencing, if that's a proper way to decribe that. Kudos, to the writers for masterfully writing some emotional dialog.

Overall, Date Night is a very enjoyable film.

The suburban tax lawyer Phil Foster (Steve Carell) and the real estate agent Claire Foster (Tina Fey) have a boring married life in New Jersey. In their routine, they have once a week the "date night", when they hire a baby-sitter for their children and they have dinner in the same restaurant. When their best friends decide to divorce because of their routine, Phil decides to surprise Claire and have dinner in the fancy restaurant Claw in Manhattan. However, they do not have reservation and is almost impossible to get a table; when Phil overhears the waitress calling Mr. and Mrs. Tripplehorn, he lies and gets their table. Sooner two men invite them to leave the restaurant with them and they believe the invitation is because they took the reservation of a couple that has not shown up. But they discover that the couple stole a flash memory from the powerful gangster Joe Miletto (Ray Liotta) and now they have a serious problem to resolve.

"Date Night" is a funny and entertaining film with a non-original storyline about a mistaken couple that works. Steve Carell and the beautiful Tina Fey are hilarious in the roles of the suburban couple that has a night of adventure for taking the reservation of another couple in a popular restaurant. I believe most of the couples married for a long time will easily understand the situation of Phil and Claire. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Noite Fora de Série" ("An Outstanding Night")

I never was a fan of director Shawn Levy's films. Sure, "Big Fat Liar" and the 2006 version of "The Pink Panther" did get some memorable moments, but they weren't THAT re-watchable. A good, funny movie is something that you can remember for quite some time, and I had a hard time remembering something memorable from "Cheaper By The Dozen" and "Just Married". However Levy isn't a bad director, it's just that he needs one good funny movie to really hit it off. No, the two "Night At The Museum" movies don't count. This one does. "Date Night", thus far, is the best movie Levy's directed.

By taking two of the funniest comedians today and putting them in a movie tailor-made for them is somewhat like a blessing. "Date Night" is a romantic comedy, with a slight detour into the action thriller genre. But it still has many laughs, big hearty ones, especially from both Carell and Fey. You see, both of them play a bored married couple who decides to liven up their love life by going into a posh (and extremely snobbish/overbooked) restaurant in the Big Apple. So the loving husband, desperate to work things out, claims (or rather, steals) an unoccupied reservation so that their night together would be romantic and luxurious. Big mistake, as they are mistaken for someone else, which leads to a night of danger, intrigue and excitement.

The best thing about the movie are both Carell and Fey and how well both play each other off. Both have excellent chemistry and have memorable moments and lines. Steve Carell is perfect as the dead-pan husband Phil, while Tina Fey as Claire looks gorgeous and deliver her own brand of jazzy humor. A fine example of their chemistry together is a scene where both of them ad-libs many couples in the film. Great stuff. To quote an early Australian reviewer; "The two surprisingly "deliver the emotional reality of a couple even under comedic demands". I loved them in the movie and I hope they do more comedies together.

There are jokes throughout the movie, both physical and in dialog. A fine example of the physical humor in the film: a car chase that is intense as it is ridiculously funny; and what is arguably the most hilarious strip/pole- dance I've seen in any movie. That scene had me laughing so much, I now have to take cough syrup. There's some memorable lines here too: "You stole our reservation? What kind of people are you?"; "He turned the gun sideways. It's a killshot!" among others. To see these two comedians going through all this in a plot so hilariously Hitchcockian (the plot kinda reminds me of "North By Northwest") is a hoot.

Balancing the comedians out are some fine supporting actors; in fact you could call the cast an ensemble cast of sorts. Besides Carell and Fey, you've got Mark Wahlberg who looks hunky shirtless, to Phil's dismay; Oscar-nominee Taraji P. Henson as a detective trying to put the pieces together; Mila Kunis and James Franco in nearly scene-stealing scenes as a wild couple who enjoy their love life despite their rowdiness; Common and Jimmi Simpson as the two pursuers; William Fichtner in a hilarious yet sleazy performance; and a villainous role for (surprise) Ray Liotta.

In technical aspects, Shawn Levy's direction is brisk and fast-paced, and the cinematography and camera work, as always by Dean Semler, is nothing short of great. The editing is fluid and doesn't ruin the smooth flow of the movie. The script, though with some flaws, is still pretty well written. Yes I agree the movie is illogical and clichéd at some points but then again it's a light-hearted comedy at it's core and for that purpose it got the job done tremendously. Plus at only 90 minutes it's pretty much short and straightforward with it's pace, so that you get what you want. Comedic entertainment at it's finest.

So overall, this is a great romantic comedy to take both your friends and/or your other too. It's a very funny and enjoyable movie to watch. It's a jolly good time at the movies, and I'm glad I saw it. Hey, maybe I'll see it again if I had the chance. This one's a winner.

Overall rating: 7.5/10 (Very good, worth your time and money)

Some movies have great stories told compellingly through technical direction and craftsmanship. These films keep you interested even when nothing important to the story is actually happening on screen. However, some films rely solely on charm and chemistry between co-stars for success. Date Night is not the first film, it looks slick and vacant of anything worth watching except for it's two stars. As casting goes, Date Night does keep you interested with the excellent pairing of Fey and Carell as a married couple. While the script struggles to provide enough clever banter to satisfy, their chemistry and ad-libs are what keeps the film going. Marky Mark, William Fichtner, Mila Kunis and James Franco show up for some pretty funny cameos, while Ray Liotta looks like he stumbled off the set of whatever his last crappy movie was and didn't step out of character. Oh, and Kristen Wiig and Mark Ruffalo are in this for, maybe two minutes. See it if you need to see Fey and Carell together on the big screen, I did

I wonder how many married couples out there can attest to their lifestyle being nothing but revolving around work, family and especially kids, with the latter just sapping whatever free time they have in their waking hours, only to find themselves stuck in a wash-rinse-repeat cycle. The film examines in a comical fashion of course, the lifestyle of the typical family with working parents and young children, and how there isn't anything known as personal time, and having routine becoming the rot in their lives.

For the Fosters Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire (Tina Fey), such is their married life, with spontaneity and energy being sucked so dry, even their regular date nights seem like a chore. You know, that precious night where you think you can paint the town red with a babysitter looking after the kids, and the sad thing being that even that can turn out to be lifeless, save for their favourite game played during dinner, where they adlib what they think about other diners around them.

Which is pretty cool, given that the two comedians, as the blooper reel played during the end credits showed, hammed it up a lot with awesome ad-libbing and improvisation, that never fail to bring on the laughter. In fact, opportunities where they are cut loose and allowed to go really crazy, are some of the best parts of the film, breathing comedic life into a very simple story of how their, well, little white lie in order to get a table at a swanky restaurant, would turn their date night upside down into a crazy urban adventure, filled with thugs, cops, and well, a beefy Mark Wahlberg.

If I had a physique similar to Wahlberg's security expert Holbrooke, heck I'll strut around topless as well all the time, which serves as a running joke about Man's insecurities about the pectorals and abs of another. One of the nicer themes here involves how couples, beside spending time together, have to emotionally connect and be honest and upfront about their desires, and especially fears as well. In between pursuits and comedy, director Shawn Levy pauses the pace appropriately to inject some dramatic elements to sneak in a moment or two to examine just that, before stepping on the pedal to floor the film to its finale.

Like I mentioned, it's otherwise a very straightforward film that doesn't try to be more than it can be, keeping things simple and to the point, with great cameo appearances with the likes of Will.I.Am, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco and Mila Kunis being those instantly recognizable. Carell and Fey share an excellent chemistry and play off each other's antics really well from wit to the timing of their physical comedy, and you'll find yourself rooting for this average, normal couple, to be going one up against their adversaries in a single nighttime adventure, since all they want is to get out of their predicament, and back to their home and children like all parents do.

Stay until the end of the credits if you didn't have enough of the restaurant scene where Carell and Fey pose as arrogant Euro-trash, for additional laughs.

I didn't have any original plans of watching this movie. However, after reading quite a few good reviews of it, I decided to check if my prejudice had been correct. I have been a fan of Steve Carell & Tina Fey for some time, owing to their performances in The Office & 30 Rock. Alas, what they do in this movie is nothing even comparable to what they have achieved on the small screen. The movie is based around The Fosters, a simple family with the basic family problems: too much work, less time with family, a mechanical and repetitive routine, a boring life, annoying kids etc. The movie follows the predictive plot of this couple going out for a quiet evening which steam rolls into a supposedly crazy wild adventure.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to complain about the plot. Its a standard comic flick and not some thriller. I don't expect a revolutionary story but I do expect a few good laughs from the movie which it definitely failed to give me. It mostly comprised of 10yr old kids' level jokes and a whole lot of overacting. But to be fair, I must mention the acting was terrible on almost everyone's part and not just the main star cast.

Maybe its just because of so many movies following the average-person-goes-super path, that this seems so boring and unworthy of spending 2hrs on, but the fact is that people expect more of such a great cast. From corny 1 liners to repeated jokes (Mark Wahlberg's shirt uhhh....), if the things were not overdone so much, the movie may not have been this bad. But nevertheless, I guess I went for this movie with way too much expectations due to the cast. Watch it if you love the leads and have time to kill for some so-so jokes. Don't expect too much & you may just come out without a frown on your face.....

My wife and I spent our date night on "Date Night." Starring two of the funniest people in the American film industry makes this a must-see. And we were not wrong.

The Fosters are a typical middle-income suburban couple with two hyperactive kids. One night, they decide to spice up their date night by going to The Claw, a posh Manhattan restaurant. Desperate for a table, they claim the reservation of a no-show couple called the Tripplehorns (a hilarious homage to the actress Jeanne!). Once that die was cast, the Fosters were then plunged into a night of mistaken identity, crooked cops, double-crossing crooks and blackmail. Of course with Carrell and Fey as the Fosters, this nightmarish scenario becomes a fun rollicking madcap all-night adventure!

Witty lines and zingy one-liners are thrown between these two, and the numerous name actors who make supporting appearances. These include the perpetually shirtless Mark Wahlberg (though that joke did wear thin after a while), and a gruff and dirty James Franco (whose shouting match with Carrell is classic!). The funniest scenes involve two hooked up cars in a frenetic car chase in downtown New York, and a psychedelic dance floor with a pole. Those two LOL scenes alone are worth the price of admission!

With the talents and goodwill of the two lead stars, I am pretty sure "Date Night" will be liked by most audiences. There are a couple of scenes with heartfelt discussions about married life as well in there. This is indeed a perfect movie for a fun date night.

Date Night is a good movie with a pretty well developed storyline that was in all honesty a lot more promising than the movie ended up,but its still very funny and action packed at times.The movies cast is fantastic and there are a lot of fun cameos throughout,the ones that really stick out in my head are Mark Wahlberg,James Franco,Mila Kunis,J.B. Smoove and Will i Am.I really like both Steve Carell and Tina Fey and thought the idea of them working together seemed like comedy gold,it certainly wasn't but the two of them still made for a fun movie.All in all,I would recommend Date Night to anyone looking for a short and sweet comedy to watch.

Hoping for a romantic night out,a bored married couple mistakenly become targets for the mob after pretending to be a different couple to get a table at a popular restaurant.

If you enjoy Liz Lemon and Micheal Scott and imagined what their lives would be like if they were married with kids, don't miss this movie. I laughed out loud too many times to count. The star-studded cast were all memorable and hilarious in their roles. Don't expect THE OFFICE or 30 ROCK level humor - it's diluted and a little more mainstream. But still a worthy watch - I'll be re-watching when I need a laugh!

Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire Foster (Tina Fey) are afraid that their marriage is growing stale upon hearing that their friends are getting a divorce. When they're at a hip restaurant in the city, they steal the reservation of the Tripplehorns. It turns out that a couple of corrupt cops are looking for the Tripplehorns and now they think the Fosters are them.

This is way too serious. The situations are way too dangerous. It's hard to laugh at this at times. The movie's tone is all over the place. Sometimes, the leads get to play with a funny Mila Kunis and James Franco pairing. Then they have a outrageous shootout with the scary corrupt cops (Jimmi Simpson, Common). I love Carell and Fey. They are fun together. But they don't have much of a chance when things turn dangerous. At least they seem to have fun in the outtakes.

A married couple, tired of the mundanity and domesticity of their lives, try to liven things up by going on date night. They try to get into a restaurant without a reservation but when this proves problematic they take on the identity of a couple without a reservation. This has some unforeseen, unpleasant consequences.

Good comedy, though a bit hit and miss. Hilariously funny at times yet doesn't always hit the mark. Plot is quite silly, but the interplay between Tina Fey and Steve Carell is great.

Funniest scene, however, belongs to Mila Kunis and James Franco. Pity they were only in the movie for that one scene - more of them and the movie would have been brilliant.

So absurd and ridiculous its entertaining. I was rooting for the bad guys and letting letting natural selection take its course but then the movie would only be 10 min long..Great for some laughs though..

Before I start talking about the movie itself, I would first like to point out that I am big fans of both of the stars involved with this film. Tina Fay is not only a beautiful woman but probably one of the funniest people in Hollywood. She is an amazing writer and I absolutely adore her show "30 Rock." As for Steve Carell, he is one of those actors who I really enjoy watching on the big screen and small screen. I have seen almost everything he has done from "Little Miss Sunshine" to "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and he has been really good at "most" of the roles he has played. With that being said when I saw the trailer for "Date Night" I was very excited to see what the end result of the film would be. So when the film finally opened in theaters, I made my journey to my local multiplex and treat myself to a "Date Night."

"Date Night" tells the story of the Fosters who are your typical American family. As part of their normal married routine, once a week Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire (Tina Fay) go out on a date to a local restaurant. One day after spending a night at their friends house, they learn just how mundane and routine marriage can be. After thinking about her own marriage, Claire decides she wants to make next week's date night special. She decides to get all dressed up to surprise Phil. When Phil comes home from work and sees Claire dressed to the nines, he decides that tonight is the night to switch it up for the better. Claire and Phil venture out to the newest Manhattan restaurant on a Friday night without a reservation. Once they get to the restaurant and get denied a table, Phil and Claire pose as "the Triplehorns" in order to get seated. While eating they get approached by two goons who think they are "the Triplehorns." This is where the fun begins as Phil and Claire's simple date night has turned into a night of mistaken identity and running for their lives from crooked cops and the mob. Lots of laughs and catchy one liners ensue...

Steve Carell's performance of Phil Foster was hilarious. He plays a combination of his "Get Smart" character and his "40 Year Old Virgin" character in the film. I think what makes me enjoy Steve Carell the most is that he seems like a typical down to earth guy. He is never over the top funny or zany guy like say Will Ferrell or Jim Carrey but just comes off like a normal "nice" and "funny" guy. As for Tina Fay, well she is great here. I think her one-liners were just the best. I don't know if she ad-libbed a lot of them but man she had some great lines. I also feel this role was a bit different from her normal roles, which I liked. While you do see her become "Liz Lemon" here at times, you also see a dirtier and different side of Tina Fay here. As for the other roles, there are a lot of famous faces who pop up here and there in the film including a funny appearance by Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, and Mila Kunis just to name a few.

Shawn Levy was the man in the director's chair. He is probably best known for directing the "Night at the Museum" films. I personally have seen most of Shawn Levy's films and have to admit while he isn't a great director, he is good at what he does. He is really good at creating fun films whether they are geared towards kids or adults. For the most part, I actually enjoy most of the films he directed. I think Mr. Levy knows his limitations and doesn't try to go above and beyond his means, which is a good thing. "Date Night" is probably his best film to date to be fair and if nothing else it's definitely his funniest.

"Date Night" was written by Josh Klausner who was the man responsible for writing the dull and lackluster "Shrek the Third." Luckily, Mr. Klausner redeemed himself with this film. I thought the dialogue was extremely well written and funny. The situations the two leads were placed in here humorous to say the least. Some of the scenes were just down right hilarious! Without giving too much away, the car scene as well as the strip club scene were two of the best in the film. I think after seeing this film now, I have more hope for "Shrek Ever After," which I was originally dreading to see since the last one was almost unwatchable since it was so dull and boring. But I will have to applaud Mr. Klausner here for writing a fun and enjoyable film.

Bottom Line: MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Date Movie" is a solid 8 out of 10. I admit I had a big smile on my face when I left the theater. "Date Night" was one of those movies where I just had a good time watching it. I think if you enjoy the whole "action/comedy" genre you will probably get a good kick out of it. If your fans of either Tina Fay or Steve Carell this is definitely a must see for you. I think overall it's a funny little film. It's nothing fresh or original but its definitely something that is brainless fun for 90 mins. Also, be sure to stay for the credits as there are a ton of outtakes during and after the credits, which are very funny.

Carell and Fey work well together and provide quite a few laughs with material that lesser comedic actors would fall flat with. Underrated Jimmy Simson leads a solid supporting cast. This is probably a 6, but any appearance by Leighton Meester is an automatic extra star by me.

I have a personal rule that I don't watch movies under 90 minutes. I don't think enough time is given to plot and character development in under 90 mins. Well, I was watching the first few minutes of Date Night, and loving it, and restarted it from the beginning when my husband came home. He caught that it was on 87 minutes but I was into it so we continued. I must say, this is probably my fav -90 flick I have seen (although I'm not keeping score). The writing was hilarious, the acting superb, and I really enjoyed all the celeb cameos. It's hard to believe it wasn't 2 full hours let alone only 87 minutes. I can't imagine what hilarity was left on the cutting-room floor. And comedies are not at the top of my list of movie genres. I guess Date Night just did it for me. Watch it and enjoy.

Underrated. When two of the funniest people of the 21st century get together to make a film, you can bet it will be predominately funny. This one is funny, and ridiculous at times, but will keep you laughing throughout its 88 minutes.

Fun movie with just enough of a storyline to keep you interested. If you want something light with a bit of action and consistent comedy you'll be satisfied. You do have to be fans of Steve and Tina's style to enjoy it which I am.