"Date Night" - in theaters

As I was watching this movie, I half expected Tina Fey to bust into her Sarah Palin impression while in the midst of a high-speed chase, but alas! No such luck.

The premise of "Date Night" is based on the relationship of the Fosters, played by Fey and Steve Carell. They are the typical upper-middle class family from New Jersey whose marriage has gone according to plan, even if it is a little boring and predictable. Their relationship is in a rut, i.e. the bed is not a'rockin' so the kids always come knockin'. When close friends of theirs disclose that they're getting divorced, the Fosters attempt a date night shake-up. Instead of going to their usual "Texas Roadhouse" style restaurant, they head into New York City to dine at a new Manhattan seafood restaurant called "Claw". (Seriously, when they answer the phone they say, 'Claw. You're welcome." It's fantastic.) They don't have a reservation, and on an impulse, they steal a no-show's. And then, of course, mistaken-identity-corrupt-official-chaos ensues.

There were some super funny moments in this movie, mostly due to the awkwardness of Fey and Carell. Mark Wahlberg shows up as a past client of Mrs. Foster who helps them out, and does it with a certain sense of shirtless flair. But the standout bit part goes to William Fichtner, who plays a DA with an appetite for loose women, both feminine and androgynous.

I could have used a little more humor with the two "cops" that were chasing the Fosters. They were a little too serious about hunting them down than they should have been given the type of movie that "Date Night" proclaims to be. I enjoy Common (who played one of those cops) and wish he had been given juicier material.

I also have to say that some of the highlights were the previews beforehand. It seemed every action-comedy that was coming out this summer previewed before "Date Night", and they all seemed pretty funny. Plus, I've got to admit that the previews are always my favorite part.

So, on the CWeave scale of 1 to 10, I rate this movie a 7. I seem to be giving out a lot of 7's lately, and no, it's not a conspiracy. I just keep enjoying every movie I go to see. This was no exception.