Due Date (2010)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles already made this movie, and that one had a heart. Due Date borrows the setup and gives the uptight guy a mean streak so wide you’ll quit rooting for him early. Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter as a man who answers every problem with an insult, and a few of them are cruel enough to stop the laughs cold. Zach Galifianakis is doing a slightly different version of his Hangover character, now with a coffee can of his dad’s ashes that he treats like a third passenger. Jamie Foxx, as an old friend who gets less comfortable by the minute, is a welcome breather. But most gags involve somebody getting hurt and the movie chuckling about it. Critics gave it 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, yet it drove off with $211.8 million worldwide. A 4.4 because two very funny actors spend most of the trip being unpleasant to sit next to. $744 says the next stranger who chats you up at an airport gate gets a polite nod and a fake phone call.

What works: Zach Galifianakis is committed and weirdly sweet, and Jamie Foxx brings a welcome jolt as Peter’s old friend.

What doesn’t: Peter is so mean that the comedy curdles, and too many gags are about someone getting hurt.

Who it’s for: People who loved The Hangover and want more of that energy crammed into a rental car.