Date Night

Rating: ***/*****, or 6/10

Adequate feel-good comedy about a bored married couple (Tina Fey and Steve Carell) who try to do something else for a change and go to an expensive fancy restaurant where they pretend, because the place is totally filled up, they're another couple that reserved a place (but didn't show up), which leads to a severe case of mistaken identity as they soon find themselves on the run from shady characters. This basically is a supposedly funny variation on Hitchcock's classic thriller North by Northwest, except the level of humor never rises above average, despite decent performances by the leading couple who at least show convincing chemistry in their roles as the protagonist pair who are confronted with car chases, break-ins and silly strip routines as they try to return to their not-so-bad status quo. Also includes an ever shirtless Mark Wahlberg as an ex-spy good samaritan and William Fichtner as a corrupt, sexually obsessed government official. Director Shawn Levy, from both Night at the Museum movies and The Pink Panther (remake) fame, adds yet another fairly entertaining but quickly forgotten flick to his repertoire.

Starring: Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Mark Wahlberg

Directed by Shawn Levy

USA: 20^th Century-Fox, 2010