I have to admit that the first time I saw the trailer for Steve Carell and Tina Fey’s romantic action comedy Date Night, I was quite skeptical. I thought that you get two huge comedy stars, Carell and Fey together in the same movie and this is what you give them to do… a ridiculous action movie!? Boy was I wrong. Date Night is one seriously funny movie that will leave you smiling long after you leave the theatre. 

The film centers around Phil (Carell) and Claire Foster, stuck in a rut married suburbanites in great need of spicing things up. Upon learning that one of their closest couple friends are getting divorced because the passion has fizzled, Phil and Claire begin to reevaluate their own relationship. When their weekly date night rolls around, they attempt to eat at a trendy Manhattan restaurant in order to mix things up a little, but are unable to get a table. They wind up stealing another couples reservation which leads to the worst case of mistaken identity imaginable and the next thing you know, Phil and Claire are being chased by corrupt cops and mobsters. 

In the hands of lesser comedic actors, Date Night would’ve turned into a cheesy, unbelievable, contrived mess. It is not a wildly original movie and the situations the lead characters find themselves in tend to be ridiculous, but none of it matters thanks to the dream team comedy pairing of Carell and Fey. No matter what is going on, the duo is so fantastic together, so perfectly funny in every way, that it is easy to overlook the idiocy of the plot and just enjoy the movie for what it is… a pleasant, light, airy, mainstream comedy that anyone can enjoy. In fact, Carell and Fey are such a convincing couple that anyone who is or has been married will easily be able to identify with them. Some of the biggest laughs (and there are quite a few) take place in their day to day life before the action and mayhem begins. Based on the chemistry the two stars share on screen, you would think they’ve been making movies together for years and years.    To be honest, I can’t think of another actor and actress pairing that even compares (in a comedy). They are truly a match made in comedy heaven. 

The tone of the film is perfect thanks to the sure-handed direction of Shawn Levy best known for his work on the two Night at the Museum films. He completely plays to both Carell and Fey’s comedic strengths and wisely allows them the breathing room to improv much of the dialogue, resulting in many hysterical lines and moments. Levy also never allows the action sequences to overpower the comedy and the film doesn’t make the mistake of turning the characters into bona fide action heroes.  The action is kept light and funny at all times and because of that, Date Night never veers off course. Even within the comedy restraints, Levy manages to produce one of the most original chase scenes in cinematic history that is amplified by a side splitting cameo from J.B.  Smoove as a cab driver. Mark Wahlberg has a great supporting role as a security expert who never has his shirt on, playfully poking fun at his past as a Calvin Klein underwear model. There are also plenty of other terrific cameos in the film from Mila Kunis, James Franco, Ray Liotta, Kristen Wiig and Mark Ruffalo which greatly enhance the movie as well. 

To sum it up, Date Night is a rib tickling, laugh out loud comedy anchored by brilliant performances from Steve Carell and Tina Fey. It is the perfect date movie. Stick around at the end because just when you think the film couldn’t have been any funnier, Levy treats us to some rip roaring outtakes over the credits that are not to be missed.