Vince Vaughn musters some water works in his new comedy…wait…drama? No, comedy…No! Family flick? Errr….. film DELIVERY MAN.
Based on the successful (but small) 2011 Quebec-made film STARBUCK, this English remake shows great promise. The story is pretty darn interesting, and the cast likeable. It is even distributed by Disney whose judgment has won my everlasting faith. Yet does it ‘deliver’? (ha ha)
DELIVERY MAN follows likeable underachiever David (a typecast Vince Vaughn who, in his old age, is looking more and more like Christopher Walken…kinda scary!).
During a moment of financial need, David donated sperm so many times, that he unknowingly fathered 533 children. The flick picks up as 142 of said kiddies open a law suit to find their biological father.
It’s undeniably a great idea, and it lends itself to a highly amusing start: Vaughn is lectured on fatherhood by fellow ‘mere males’ (the sandbox scene is particularly hilarious), and you can’t help but chuckle as he sneakily sets out to explore the mystery fruit of his loins.
This comedic vein, however, is far from consistent. There are unexpected injections of drama, sentimental slop and glaring social comment. While I’m all for genre-blending, on this occasion it doesn’t quite work, resulting in an uneven and confusing tone.
While Vince Vaughn has never exactly floated my boat, he is undeniably likeable and continues to be even as his receding hairline and eye bags take over. Yes, he’s Hollywood’s go-to-guy when it comes to forgivable failures, so this role is nothing new, but DELIVERY MAN does push him a little, requiring a tad more depth than his usual characters.
His performance is solid, though having his eyes ‘well up’ for 60% of the film is perhaps a little unnecessary….
The supporting cast is good: Chris Pratt as his best mate, and lawyer, Brett is a highlight and the gorgeous Cobie Smulders (you’ll remember her as the chick in the tight jumpsuit in THE AVENGERS) is always a welcome addition to any ensemble.
Technically DELIVERY MAN is nothing memorable: The soundtrack is OK, the cinematography is OK…everything is basically OK.
While it has promise, and is of admirable sentiment, DELIVERY MAN ultimately gets bogged in it’s own cheese, and trips over it’s inconsistent tone. While it should really only get 2.5 stars, I’ll be nice and give it 3, with the hilarious sandbox scene and lawyer media appearance just pushing it over the line…
DELIVERY MAN: I begrudgingly award it 6 stars.
