Delivery Man **
Star Vince Vaughn is up to his usual tricks in Ken Scott’s Delivery Man; that of ‘man child’ forced to grow up with the help of ‘the family’. Admittedly, he does curb some of his usual stream of prattle in this. There is a sense that the comic actor is trying to find the right balance of drama and comedy with each new project but insists on reverting to these goofy, irresponsible roles as a fallback in case he can’t cut it as a serious actor. Indeed, the plot alone makes it very hard for anyone to take this – or him – seriously.
Deliveryman David Wozniak (Vaughn) is one of life’s constant losers (estranged from his pregnant girlfriend and in trouble with the mob), even though he has a steady job at his family’s firm delivering meat. One day he finds a man in his apartment who informs him that due to his very generous sperm donations made twenty years earlier for money to take his family abroad, the same clinic subsequently reused his semen. The result is he has fathered 533 children, some of which – 142 – want the right to know who their birth father is, and for his anonymity to be lifted. Intrigued, Wozniak sets out to secretly meet some of his offspring, against the advice of his lawyer and best pal Brett (Chris Pratt), with Wozniak facing the dilemma of coming clean or not.
Those who enjoy the usual formulaic Vaughn comedy can comfortably add this one to the long list. Vaughn always plays the loser with total credibility; there is nothing new here, aside from a more pensive character at the state of play – hence the stemming of Vaughn verbal dysentery. He is as flawed and affable as ever as Wozniak for loyal fans.
Pratt does get the chance to upstage Vaughn as the real loveable fool – end revelation aside. Theirs is the film’s bromance, acting like a bickering married couple trying to sort out the situation. The film plays for our empathy at the start, with Brett left to bring up four young kids after his partner walks out – Wozniak’s worst nightmare, long before the real one begins.
The trouble is, Wozniak seems to come out of the whole thing rather too lightly and unscathed, complete with a gooey ending that feels as staged and ridiculous as the rest of the scenarios. It does appear as though the film tries to change tone but freaks out and reverts to Vaughn type. A little stark reality is missing along the way, like none of the kids get really angry, that naturally makes the whole thing ultimately frivolous.
That said it is Vaughn’s attempt at a little emotional input in a far-fetched and daft premise, again feeling all too comfortable for him. This could have been a mould-breaking role with a little more effort on the film-makers’ part, especially given the more genuine sentiments of the original 2011 Canadian film Starbuck. Still, Delivery Man is entertaining if lacking in substance.
2/5 stars
By @FilmGazer
by lgileskeddie
