DATE NIGHT: movie review

MOVIE REVIEW, DATE NIGHT: B+

First, be sure to stay till the screen goes dark. There are two sets of good outtakes on each side of the credits.

If you just need to get out, or eat sinful food, or both, this comedy is a perfect excuse. Tina Fey and Steve Carrel are so good that their intelligence informs the movie’s dumbest moments, which are plentiful. The leads are so likable that I was bearing with them, cheering for them to pull this absurd, sometimes plodding plot past its midway point, where the laughs become louder and more frequent.

It helps too that director Shawn Levy and Ms. Fey continue to discover her sex appeal, for which they have my gratitude. If the ladies don’t feel this way about the earnest Steve Carrel, be aware that the buff Mark Wahlberg has several appearances, each a few minutes long. A standing joke is based on his refusal to wear a shirt.

The rest of the supporting cast is flawless as well. Taraji P. Henson as Detective Arroyo is almost too believable to be wasted on a romantic comedy. After checking on the cast at Yahoo Movies, I see I'm tardy in predicting that we’ll be seeing more of her, perhaps in this very kind of role.

In short, I’ll be surprised if people want their money back. Most won’t even be as cautious as I am in their enthusiasm. So relax and enjoy.

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