Alyson Hannigan

Date Movie (Unrated) (2006)

Published: June 01, 2006

Stars: Alyson Hannigan

Other Stars: Adam Campbell, Jennifer Coolidge, Tony Cox, Fred Willard, Eddie Griffin, Sophie Monk

Director: Aaron Seltzer

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (continuous crude and sexual humor, including language)

Run Time: 01h:24m:38s

Release Date: May 30, 2006

UPC: 024543247012

Genre: comedy

DVD Review

While it seems like a new Scary Movie sequel hits theaters twice a year, the parodies don’t stop there. Early 2006 saw one that made fun of romantic comedies called Date Movie. Despite a critical lashing, good timing resulted in an excellent opening weekend at the box office, virtually guaranteeing not only a Date Movie 2, but also a Scary Movie 5, 6, 7...

Julia Jones (Alyson Hannigan) is a rather large woman who longs for love between snacks out of a large jar of mayonnaise. After visiting the nearby dating expert (Tony Cox), Julia meets Grant Funkyerdoder (Adam Campbell) and is instantly smitten. Grant falls in love with her as well once Julia has an incredible makeover, and the two are quickly engaged. The wedding becomes difficult to coordinate, though, as both sets of parents suffer from severe culture clash, and Julia has to compete with Grant’s old flame, the gorgeous Andy (Sophie Monk).

No recent romantic comedy is safe as this parody begins its reign of terror by tackling the Bridget Jones films, then moving on to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. There are references to just about every such movie from the last five or so years, including My Best Friend’s Wedding, and even the more recent Napoleon Dynamite. You name it, they mock it, with only a few of tasteful lifts and some a bit obscure (who would have even thought to send up Rize?). The best references come at the expense of the Kill Bill movies and What Women Want, but even those only elicit a slight chuckle.

Making nearly all of the same mistakes that the Scary Movie films make on a consistent basis, Date Movie is filled with witless gags. Scatological humor is the name of the game here, as the potty-trained cat from Meet the Parents is sent-up in a particularly gross sequence. There are way too many cringe-inducing jokes including the appearance of some Lord of the Rings characters who sell their "precious" in a high-end jewelry store.

When Fred Willard shows up there is a glimmer of hope; unfortunately, he’s one of a handful of talented, veteran actors who have to work with the lamest of screenplays. Willard tries to bring his charm to a version of Dustin Hoffman’s character from Meet the Fockers, while Jennifer Coolidge tries to have fun mimicking Barbara Streisand from the same film. Try to have sympathy for the lovely Alyson Hannigan (Buffy, The Vampire Slayer), who breathes life into every project she undertakes. However, even Hannigan’s glowing screen presence cannot lift a poorly-written film.

Michael Jackson is ripped, although his brief appearance has nothing to do with the rest of the gags, which at least slightly mesh to form a storyline. One longs for the days of Airplane and The Naked Gun as projects like this continue to run this comedic subgenre into the Hollywood graveyard.

Rating for Style: C

Rating for Substance: D