Date Night

(15) 88min

Not since Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger hooked up in Blake Edwards’ 1987 comedy Blind Date has there been such a disastrous romantic night out as the one seen in Shawn Levy’s new film. Comedy royalty Steve Carell and Tina Fey play Phil and Claire Foster, a couple from the ‘burbs who decide to escape the kids for an evening and head for a trendy Manhattan eatery. Problems start when they get mistaken for the Tripplehorns, a pair of thieves being hunted down by two corrupt cops on behalf of a local gangster (Ray Liotta).

As the Fosters go on the run to try and clear their name, what follows is a hit-and-miss adventure that relies as much on action as it does comedy. There are some amusing moments – notably the appearance of Mark Wahlberg’s bare-chested spy, part 007, part Tom Cruise in Minority Report. Meanwhile, Carell and Fey make a credible couple, never laying the slush on with a trowel, and journeyman director Levy (the Night at the Museum franchise) ensures the film never outstays its welcome. Admittedly, a rather formulaic outlook ensures it’s all rather forgettable in the end. But, as date movies go, you could do worse.

General release from Wed 21 April.