Due Date Feature Trailer (2010)

Feature trailer for Due Date.

Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is an expectant first-time father whose wife's due date is a mere five days away. As Peter hurries to catch a flight home from Atlanta to be at her side for the birth, his best intentions go completely awry when a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) forces Peter to hitch a ride with Ethan--on what turns out to be a cross-country road trip that will ultimately destroy several cars, numerous friendships and Peter's last nerve.

Director Todd Phillips also directed all three of The Hangover movies which also starred Zach Galifianakis.

Robert Downey Jr and Michelle Monaghan previously appeared together in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, where the duo played old high school friends only to be reunited after making a return to Los Angeles; a city that gets ripped on throughout the entire film. With a budget of $65 million and not much love from the critics, Due Date was still able to open at #2 at the box office and go on to make $212 million.

Just like director Todd Phillip’s previous film, The Hangover, Due Date was sure to feature a French Bulldog.

The Due Date trailer meets expectations with more than a few good chuckles. Robert Downey Jr. somehow manages to have the ability to be hilarious while also being slightly condescending in a charming way; think Iron Man. Zach Galifianakis holds his own against bigger names with his own brand of offbeat humor. With a trailer like this, the actual plot doesn’t seem as important, because let’s be honest, Due Date is obviously a silly comedy with sight gags and a screwy storyline. Robert Downey Jr. is the straight man, or maybe the slightly more reasonable man, to Galifianakis. Galifianakis is, once again, able to say the most ridiculous things with utter sincerity. The two actors come together in a weirdly effective buddy comedy.

It’s more than just a buddy comedy, it’s a road trip flick too, which if done right can be great entertainment. Ever since Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, road trip movies have seemed like a good idea with varying results. The Due Date trailer even has an explosion, which no road trip would be complete without some cars getting destroyed otherwise the trip would go smoothly, and what’s the fun in that? What’s wrong with a little destruction as long as it’s all for the sake of comedy?

The trailer conveys the raucous time that will be had by audiences with enough quick scene shifts, great one-liners, and a darkly amusing bit about the ashes of a dead guy, so all in all, we are in for a treat. Jamie Foxx once again popping up in a comedy is also great to see considering that was where he started his career (In Living Color, The Jamie Foxx Show). The cast knows what they are doing, and the trailer shows that unlike some recent comedies of a similar ilk, there is little desperation for a cheap laugh, just pure comic gold.