Calvin Berman contemplates nothing, kind of, after seeing "Due Date"

Warner Bros. released "Due Date" this weekend to a respectable $32.7 million box office performance, according to Deadline. The Los Angeles Times leads me to believe that "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips reunited with "The Hangover" star Zach Galifianakis for the movie, while Robert Downey Jr. third-wheeled his way into it.

This movie is unlike any of the ones that I have examined on this thread; my mind was blank when I walked out of the theater. "Due Date" was not smart enough to include anything worth analyzing, yet not stupid enough to make me want to analyze its stupidity, like "Jackass 3D."

The premise of the movie was that Downey's haughty character is thwarted in his attempts to get home to his pregnant wife (who is due in a few days) by a stranger: Galifianakis' cluelessly idiotic character. Somehow, the two end up driving to Los Angeles from Atlanta so that the husband can witness the birth of his baby. I know, I know; what a bunch of baloney.

Even if you overlook the serious lack in realistic plot and cinematic direction, you can't get past the fact that Galifianakis plays almost the same character that he had portrayed in "The Hangover." He is the token moron that other characters find themselves forced to go on a road trip with. That is, until his odd behavior becomes endearing at the film's focal point.

Have you ever heard of the saying: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?" Well, it applies in this case.

Galifianakis' performance was outstanding in "The Hangover," which had me laughing from beginning to end. Because the character was pretty much cloned for "Due Date," Galifianakis' character's ridiculously stupid antics still had me laughing.

(Screenshot of the "Due Date" trailer, taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGpJUh9j-jU)

My friends complained that the movie had not lived up to their expectations. "'The Hangover' was way better," they said. I argued that you can't go into any movie looking to compare it to the genius of "The Hangover," the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time, according to Variety.

That's like saying that Kobe Bryant's 30-point game on Jan. 27, 2006, was a failure because he had scored 81 points the prior game. Most NBA players only dream of scoring 30 points in a game.

"Due Date" made me laugh a bunch of times. Based on my experience, I feel it was better than most other comedies I've seen, bottom line. What's wrong with that? Why can't I just accept laughter when it comes to me?

Is it just me, or are we all this way?

If you think you've got an answer, I'd love to read it below!