'Playdate' Review
- Connor Petrey
- Nov 12, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 5
Release Date: 11/12/25 [Prime Video]
Genre: Action. Comedy.
MPAA: Rated PG13.
Distributor: Prime Video.
The Verdict: A Maybe
Playdate is the latest film from Luke Greenfield, the man behind such films as The Girl Next Door, Let’s Be Cops and Something Borrowed. In this high octane action comedy, we witness two “dads” going on a spontaneous road trip when their lives come crashing down around them. Kevin James plays oddly enough the straight man here in comparison to Alan Ritchson’s absolute goofball of a human being (reminiscent of Channing Tatum in the Jump Street films).
It’s VERY important to note that the first ten minutes of this film are rough to get through, some serious turbulence for an otherwise blast of a buddy comedy. The real key to this film is the pairing of James and Ritchson and Ritchson doesn’t enter the scene until right around that mark. In a rarity as well, the children who play a prominent role in the film are both excellent - Benjamin Pajak having been in this year’s The Life of Chuck (one of the year’s best), while Banks Pierce is relatively new to the scene.
The film has a hilarious back and forth throughout the majority of the first and second acts, before diving into a third act that possibly leans too heavily into a sci-fi territory that it didn’t need to approach. Nevertheless Playdate is a ridiculous film that is immediately elevated by the chemistry of its two leads and their line deliveries. It also helps that director Luke Greenfield knows when to execute a needle drop to enhance an action sequence (notably one containing "The Rhythm of the Night" and crashing into literally everything).
It might start off incredibly rough, but once it gets going it truly never winds down and while the third act makes some interesting choices, at the end of the day - this film is just a fun time through and through. Plus as a bonus it highlights the re-introduction of Ritchson to the world of comedy for those that only know him as Reacher and not from his days on Blue Mountain State.
