I went to see Due Date expecting a substandard, contrived film with few humorous scenes. Regretfully, I have to report that my these expectations were maintained throughout the entire movie.

Due Date features Robert Downey, Jr. as protagonist Peter Highman. Peter is traveling home from Atlanta to Los Angeles to be with his wife, Sarah, as she gives Cesarean birth to their firstborn. Just as he is about to fly home, Peter, mistaken for a terrorist, is kicked off the flight before takeoff and is put on the No-Fly List.

Desperately trying to get home, Peter accepts the help of Ethan Tremblay (played by Zach Galifianakis). Ethan is an aspiring actor who, also kicked off the flight, is driving cross-country from Atlanta to Hollywood after his father’s funeral, carrying his father’s ashes in a coffee can the whole way. All the way from Georgia to California, Ethan harasses Peter with probing questions and embarrasses him with his offensive behavior.

Before I rip into the numerous imperfections that scar Due Date, let me list the good points of the film. There are a handful of extremely funny moments that made my belly ache. The movie would be a good choice for a relaxing, social night where everyone is chatting and casually watching the movie. The dark humor in the film, when not overly offensive, also has its ups. A scene where Peter and Ethan accidently drink a coffee made out of Ethan’s father’s ashes is shocking, but oddly entertaining and droll.

While the film had its comical moments, Due Date feels like a cheap imitation of The Hangover. Many of the gags were unnecessarily crude and gaudy. Oftentimes, the jokes tow a line that should not be crossed. An example of this is when Peter punches an obnoxious young boy in the stomach. I like edgy and offensive comedy, but this particular obscene scene simply offended me because it makes light of child abuse.

When I wasn’t questioning whether it was morally acceptable to laugh at some of the jokes, I was distracted by other glaring faults. There is obviously no chemistry between Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, and this makes it awkward for the audience to empathize with the quasi-stereotyped, stock characters that litter the plotline. We, the audience, are supposed to feel touched when Peter, soon to become a father, and Ethan, who recently lost his father, abruptly connect and become good friends. However, this bond is not exploited intelligently or fully enough to make any significant emotional impact on the viewer.

The premise of Due Date is also worn out. Two opposites take a road trip together and get involved in a bunch of hijinks together … haha, how original. How many movies and television shows in the past century have featured men romping around without the careful supervision of feminine sensibility?

Despite the bad and the ugly in this film, the good is redeeming enough to give this film a casual try. Don’t get your hopes up though, and prepare yourself to be underwhelmed. I give this film two and a half stars out of five.