Peter Highman is trying to get from Texas to California in time for the birth of his first child, but bad luck, misfortune, and his own temper are thwarting him. When he and fellow passenger Ethan Tremblay (a hopeful actor looking to make it to Hollywood) get kicked off a plane, they decide to drive the distance. From there they get beat up by war veterans, have run-ins with the law, drink a dead man and crash a couple cars.
It's basically a rebooted version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Most of the humor is supposed to come from Zach Galifianakis and his wacky character who just can't get the hang of being social, but it falls short. I am not familiar with Mr. Galifianakis as an actor; the only other movie I have seen him in was G-Force and it is hard to tell if someone has chops when they are doing banter with a talking CGI guinea pig. Whether it's his acting or the lackluster script work, his character just isn't that funny, although he gets a laugh here and there.
Robert Downey, Jr. plays the expecting father Peter Highman, and he is just as charming, funny, and angry as he is in every other movie he does.
It's a very slow start but the movie does have some funny parts eventually: the drainage ditch bit, the weird way Zach Galifianakis walks, the Mexico car chase.
Ultimately it is the kind of movie you don't mind watching once and then never seeing again.
2.5 stars
Made remarkably better when you are able to make fun of it in an entirely empty theater with a good friend.
ReplyDeleteThough I suppose, the "entirely empty theater" bit should have been a clue...