Date Night works by pairing two comedy greats together, letting them do what they do best, fills the supporting cast with some great actors, and doesn’t drag at all over its crisp runtime.

The premise is easy to grasp by simply watching a trailer or TV spot, a suburban couple, the Fosters, goes into the city for a night out on the town and when they steal someone else’s reservation they are mistaken for being someone else.  What ensues is a game of cat and mouse all across the city that plays out as a detective story as the Foster’s try and track down the “Tripplehorn’s”.  Now the film does take a few turns where you might scream at the screen at why The Foster’s are doing this instead of that which could have avoided this whole mess, but then you wouldn’t have a movie now would you.  If you can get past this kink then you will find a fun, funny, and kind of weird adventure with an odd couple that encounters a lot of interesting characters along the way.

The film is convenient and a bit too easy at times but this allows for the film to plow forward and not waste a beat and the film has great comic timing through out the entirety of the picture.  Plus, you can’t help but love watching Tina Fey and Steve Carell run around and being hilarious with some fantastic chemistry between the two.  The duo also does a great job at working with the many revolving faces in the film and bounce off the supporting cast with ease creating some memorable and very funny moments outside the Fey and Carell solo scenes.

I can’t say a whole lot about this film without spoiling the better bits and scenes but there wasn’t a scene that fell flat for me or missed the mark and the film holds a solid laugh ratio from the start to finish.  The “action” sequences are even done surprisingly well for a comedy of this sort and while it isn’t going to blow you away the action looks surprisingly solid.  Also, to touch on the humor again, it is quite off beat and odd at times and I couldn’t be happier for it.  The film has plenty of improv in it and you can really feel Fey and Carell’s humor coming through and you will find yourself asking “what?” in a good way at a number of the random lines that pop up over the course of the picture.  If you are a fan of the odd quirks these two actors display in their respective sitcoms 30 Rock and The Office then you will be sure to find plenty to laugh at as the film drops weirder lines than you will find on either show.

I also appreciate the way they handle the relationship in this film and that they didn’t dive into the stereotypical arc for a couple in a movie that challenges their marriage/relationship.  They handled it well and the film is a very pro-relationship film and does so without being overly sappy or corny; the couple feels real.

I have been touching on the cast through out this review and the depth and quality of it is what makes this film stand out as a winning comedy.  Starting with the headliners, Fey and Carell deliver some of their funniest work in the film world, Fey probably her best for the big screen, and you can’t help but be taken in by the two as they bounce off one another with ease.  Fey is full of one liner’s and the two seem to be trying to top each other at every turn.  Standouts from the impressive supporting is James Franco at the top of that list as an important key to the Foster’s.  Carell and Franco in particular have a great banter in the film and their scene might be the high point in the picture.  Mila Kunis is also in this scene and is very funny pulling her weight with the three proven comedy stars in the room with her.  Mark Wahlberg carries himself perfectly as the super spy type Holbrooke but Fey and Carell steal all of his scenes with their reactions and interactions with him.  Kristin Wigg and Mark Ruffalo make cameos early in the film and both do fine work, as do Common and Jimmi Simpson as a pair of thugs.  William Fitchtner Is one of my favorites and he does fine work in his limited screen time, as does Ray Liotta who plays to his perceived type to solid effect.  Oh, and J.B. Smoove is not Leon-esque but still funny as an unfortunate cab driver.

In the end, Date Night is a solid comedy that never drags, is full of plenty of funny scenes, and a comedy duo that works wonders.  Fey and Carell both shine and are supported by an excellent cast from top to bottom.  Shawn Levy’s film might short cut it and be a bit convenient but if you can get past these there is nothing but fun to be found in the tight knit and often hilarious comedy that will please most audiences beyond just fans of the leads.  Seek it out on your date night this weekend.

Date Night is a B+