Not enough star power to save ‘Due Date’

“Due Date” has all the elements of a relatively good comedy: great actors, a successful director and a scenario that leaves room to deviate from the norm. But somewhere along the line things go horribly wrong, and “Due Date” becomes merely bearable.

Robert Downey Jr. plays an uptight jerk whose wife is going to have a baby in a few days. His unintended compatriot is played by Zach Galifianakis, who, in an incredible display of stupidity, gets the two kicked off an airplane back to Los Angeles and put on the no-fly list. Downey’s wallet was left with his luggage on the plane, so he’s forced to tag along with Galifianakis as they drive across the country to his wife.

Galifianakis is often hilarious, but the screenplay leaves little room for Downey’s character to develop. It’s a real shame, considering how magnetic his screen personality usually is. There just isn’t any reason to care about these characters.

The final portion of the movie runs on autopilot, with Downey arriving just in time. So what?