Due Date: Trailer preview

Can Todd Phillips deliver another comedy megahit in the vein of his 'The Hangover'? Tom Huddleston thinks he might

Is it the next ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ or just ‘The Hangover’ meets ‘Road Trip’? Well, the annoying-schlub-meets-frustrated-family-man plotline and presence of quality thespian talent like Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx would suggest the former. But the appearance of Zach Galifianakis and director Todd Philips, who was responsible for both the aforementioned infuriating man-coms, would suggest the latter.

This trailer sports a few solid laughs – Galifianakis’s first line is a killer, and RDJ, despite his penchant for soul-searching dramatic roles (cf 'The Soloist), is quickly proving himself to be a natural comedian. But we still have a few questions about this trailer. Is Galifianakis essaying some kind of crude Nathan Lane gay caricature, and if not, what’s with the little dog and the ass-wiggling flounce? Is Jamie Foxx an actual part in the movie, or just a cameo? And what are these three doing in a car together, anyway?

It’s odds-on that this will be just another tedious testosterone-fuelled bromance aimed squarely at the beer-and-pretzel crowd. But if Downey Jr can keep us charmed, if Galifianakis can reign in the gross and let loose the funny, and if Todd Philips can keep it ‘Old School’ rather than ‘Frat House’, we might be looking at a low-key, high-concept November treat.



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