Quick Review: Delivery Man (2013)

November 24, 2013 / Leave a Comment

DELIVERY MAN

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
NOVEMBER 24, 2013

Sadly, Vince Vaughn’s star is falling. Once on top and in the spotlight of his comedic heyday, “Delivery Man” proves that he’s just not the comedic genius we once thought him to be. Most of this can be placed on the material, with the exact script from a French-Canadian release titled “Starbuck,” written and directed by the same man, Ken Scott, which seems completely unnecessary. Not only are remakes now coming from the same director, but they’re using the same script and leaving a year to separate the films. Although I have yet to see “Starbuck,” from what I’ve heard, the films are almost shot the same as well, with the same shot choices and absolutely nothing changing in the script.

Yes, I believe Vaughn still has the wherewithal to pull off comedic scripts, but this film falls into a strange borderline between family comedy and raunchy frolic, making it the worst of both worlds and a film very few people will want to see. The script is horrendous. I can perhaps suspense my disbelief enough to accept that a sperm donor could father 533 kids, and I can maybe believe that they would sue to find out who their biological father is, but how in the hell did they all end up staying in New York City? How in the hell is Vaughn’s character able to find them all without leaving the state. It’s ridiculous and without involvement from Chris Pratt and his great comedic timing, “Delivery Man” would almost be unwatchable. Now Vince Vaughn just needs to find a comedy that actually works and then we can all decide whether he’s completely past his prime or not.