Just imagine it. 553 mini Vince Vaughns running around this tiny joint we call Earth. It's a scary concept in anyone's language, but that's precisely the premise put to us in Delivery Man, a mediocre dramedy that follows hard-luck David Wozniak (Vaughn), an aimless stoner trying to prove his worth to concerned girlfriend Emma (Cobie Smulders). Thankfully for us, though, David's many children are infinitely – and somewhat inexplicably – more attractive than our affable lead. As if holding down an easy job wasn't hard enough, David has to contend with a mass civil suit being filed against him by a quarter of his illegitimate flock after his generous donations in the '80s come back to bite him. Having donated under the pseudonym 'Starbuck', David's right to privacy is now at risk, unless his bumbling lawyer (Chris Pratt) can salvage a legal loophole.
The whole experience should feel like a drastic case of déjà vu for director Ken Scott and screenwriter Martin Petit, who collaborated on the 2011 Canadian film Starbuck. Less of a re- imagining and more of a direct remake, Delivery Man starts off strong, but gradually fades into mediocrity courtesy of, well, just too much going on. The film's multitude of side-arcs, including David's family issues, work responsibilities, commitments to several needy offspring and a completely unexplained detour that involves owing money to the mob thoroughly overshadow his quest for fatherhood, turning an otherwise light encounter into a needlessly tedious exercise.
As a result, a film that should in no way leave any plot point unresolved instead carries a range of probing questions. Who are these Russian gangsters we keep hearing about? Would any judge in the land realistically accept David's legal argument? And how do so many strangers keep finding ways to break into his apartment?
This directorial oversight unfortunately sours a film that is otherwise quite entertaining. Petit stretches the PG rating as far as he can, working in a handful of funny, albeit unoriginal scenes, and each supporting character is more than a two-dimensional caricature. Andrzej Blumenfeld is perfectly cast as arguably Delivery Man's most complete character, David's wise, introverted father. Meanwhile, Smulders' conflicted, unassuming girlfriend, and the malleable Pratt's portrayal of a kind-hearted lawyer pushed to his emotional limit by the dregs of marriage each compliment Vaughn's warm performance to the point of tolerance despite the film's salient flaws.
The whole experience should feel like a drastic case of déjà vu for director Ken Scott and screenwriter Martin Petit, who collaborated on the 2011 Canadian film Starbuck. Less of a re- imagining and more of a direct remake, Delivery Man starts off strong, but gradually fades into mediocrity courtesy of, well, just too much going on. The film's multitude of side-arcs, including David's family issues, work responsibilities, commitments to several needy offspring and a completely unexplained detour that involves owing money to the mob thoroughly overshadow his quest for fatherhood, turning an otherwise light encounter into a needlessly tedious exercise.
As a result, a film that should in no way leave any plot point unresolved instead carries a range of probing questions. Who are these Russian gangsters we keep hearing about? Would any judge in the land realistically accept David's legal argument? And how do so many strangers keep finding ways to break into his apartment?
This directorial oversight unfortunately sours a film that is otherwise quite entertaining. Petit stretches the PG rating as far as he can, working in a handful of funny, albeit unoriginal scenes, and each supporting character is more than a two-dimensional caricature. Andrzej Blumenfeld is perfectly cast as arguably Delivery Man's most complete character, David's wise, introverted father. Meanwhile, Smulders' conflicted, unassuming girlfriend, and the malleable Pratt's portrayal of a kind-hearted lawyer pushed to his emotional limit by the dregs of marriage each compliment Vaughn's warm performance to the point of tolerance despite the film's salient flaws.