Delivery Man Review

Caught Dreamworks Pictures' "Delivery Man" last night and I found it surprisingly good despite a so-so trailer. The film stars Vince Vaughn as Dave Wozniak, a man who finds out that he has fathered 500 or so kids thanks to a sperm bank. It also features Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders and is directed by Ken Scott.

And if you think this is an original, a quick Wikipedia check shows us that this is actually a remake of a 2011 French film entitled "Starbuck". Despite that, I think this is nice movie.

WHATS GOOD:

- Vince Vaughn was OK here. He's not the doofus nor the ass that we know him from other films. This one's a more mature Vaughn. Still if you look at him, it'll probably get you a snicker or two but thanks to the material and probably the director, this is a different Vaughn. In his case, different was good.

- Robin Scherbatsky Cobie Smulders. She looks beautiful whatever the scene. Not convincing as a police nor as a mother but her presence is definitely adds a little nice vibe to the movie. She's hot.

Let's go for another one...

And another one...

OK, enough Sherbatsky. 

- CHRIS PRATT! This guy stole the show for me. Each scene is pure genius. He plays Vaughn's best friend and attorney Brett who helps him out with legalities in this case. A lot of great comedic beats here in this movie for the guy who would be playing the Starlord next year.

Parks and Recreations has proven that this guy is definitely a keeper for comedic roles. Also I hear that he actually gained 60 pounds just to get into the role of Brett which is really interesting.  

- The plot might be a little dull but it's all those heartfelt scenes where Vaughn either does an "Act of Random Kindness" or plays Guardian angel that can really get you. The film's not a 'crier' but it'll touch a soft spot especially for would-be fathers, husbands and boyfriends. (I suddenly have this urge to call up my dad and play pool with him)

- There's a moral lesson in the movie. Somewhere here. Regardless, it's a really fun movie. Also don't do drugs, always go to work on time and don't use the delivery truck as your own personal vehicle, people are waiting for fresh cut meat dammit! 

DELIVERY MAN is a nice movie. It's got it's merits and while it's not going to be really, really stellar I can say that you can enjoy this a lot. Again, word of caution, the comedy bits are with Pratt not with Vaughn. That'll save you some grief. 

Verdict: 6.5/ 10

Special thanks to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures for the photos and all that.  DELIVERY MAN opens Dec. 4

Vince Vaughn Fathers 533 (!) Children in "Delivery Man"

Vince Vaughn has starred in some of the biggest box office comedies of the past decade, winning over audiences with his characteristic deadpan delivery and scathing sense of humor. Having played the lovable Everyman many times before, DreamWorks Pictures' new heartwarming comedy “Delivery Man” serves as a departure for him as an actor. A touching story filled with honesty and hope – in addition to humor – the film gives audiences a glimpse of a more mature Vince Vaughn.

“Delivery Man” tells the story of affable underachiever David Wozniak (Vaughn) whose anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier resulted in 533 children. David must now embark on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but also the father that he could become.

Now married and the father to two children of his own, Vaughn was drawn to the role of David Wozniak as he wanted to address the issues of balancing life and family from a fresh perspective.

“It’s a great premise that is a little bit crazy,” says Vaughn, “but underneath it all the movie is about family, about connection and about finding your way, so it has a lot of heart to it. The movie deals with real issues that families go through, what people go through in life trying to find their way and be successful, in a very authentic way. But there’s also an underlying optimism, warmth and love to the film that’s very powerful and funny.”

David is the eldest of three sons in the Wozniak family. He works for the family’s Brooklyn-based meat business with his father and brothers, but is a constant foul-up, albeit a loveable and likeable one. “David is a strange character,” explains producer André Rouleau. “Maybe he is not the best man in the world, but he’s got a big heart, and that’s why people love him.”

David’s past comes back to haunt him when he learns that the anonymous donations he made to a fertility clinic years ago under the pseudonym “Starbuck” have produced 533 Wozniak descendants, resulting in a paternity nightmare.

Adds Vaughn, “David is a guy who hasn’t grown up. He’s still very childlike in a lot of ways. He doesn’t have a lot of adult responsibility and he realizes that his girlfriend is pregnant. He owes money to some mobsters who are getting impatient and are giving him some pretty rough coaxing, and he’s constantly late on his bills.”

Writer/director Ken Scott was thrilled to give Vaughn the chance to tackle the role of David Wozniak. “It's always about how this impacts David's character,” Scott says. “So, for me, it was very important to find a great actor, someone good with comedy, someone who was strong enough to carry the whole movie on his shoulders, and someone who we would want to follow on this journey. Vince was very passionate about this story, he loved the story, he loved the character, obviously, and he has the talent to carry this movie. I felt he was perfect for this role.”

The filmmakers knew after just one meeting with Vaughn that they had found the right man. executive producer Scott Mednick recalls, “As we walked out to my car, the three of us looked at each other and said, ‘My God, he's David!’ Vince brings a depth and a heart to the role that I think audiences are not expecting … he does an amazing job. He takes this film on his back and delivers, for my nickel, the performance of his life.”

“He’s showing us another dimension of his major talent,” adds executive producer Mark Sourian. “Vince has always given great comedic performances. Now, with ‘Delivery Man,’ audiences get to see more of his versatility and depth as an actor. I think Vince was happy to play a part that was different from the roles he's had in the past. He definitely brings something amazing and unique to the character of David. I think, as a new father himself, he brought a personal understanding of the situation that nobody else could have performed as well.”

Opening soon across the Philippines on Dec. 4, “Delivery Man” is a DreamWorks Picture distributed by Walt Disney Studios International.

Cobie Smulders, from "Marvel's The Avengers" to "Delivery Man"

She recently starred as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” which grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide. She will reprise her role for “Captain America Winter Soldier” which will be released on April 4, 2014 and also for “The Avengers 2.” But for now, Cobie Smulders stars in DreamWorks Pictures' “Delivery Man,” a heartfelt comedy about the complexities of life, seizing the day and becoming the person you are destined to be.

“Delivery Man” tells the story of affable underachiever David (Vince Vaughn) whose anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier resulted in 533 children. David must now embark on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but also the father that he could become.

For the role of David’s girlfriend Emma, the filmmakers were looking to cast an actress who could hold her own opposite Vaughn on both a dramatic as well as comedic level. The part went to Cobie Smulders, who exuded a unique combination of toughness and vulnerability.

In the film, Emma is all too familiar with David’s shortcomings and is desperate for him to grow up. The fact that she is pregnant with his child makes things all the more complicated.

Smulders explains, “David comes to her door very late at night, and he's trying to make up with her. He hasn't been in touch for a while, and Emma has been trying to get in touch with him because she's pregnant. She is a New York City police officer and she's battling with the idea of this man being her child's father. Will he support her? Is he a good father figure? And so it's a journey for both of them in a way that Emma learns to trust David and David grows up.”

As irritated as Emma is with David, part of her wants to give him the chance to step up to the plate. “David is flaky. He's one of those guys, who's so sweet, so charming, and everybody loves him,” observes Smulders. “But, he's not dependable. And for someone like Emma who is so by the book, who is much more organized, having this person in her life can be very frustrating.”

Smulders says, “When Emma reveals that she's pregnant to David, he goes on a quest to prove to her that he could be a good father. It's almost like he doesn't have to prove it to her first, but he has to prove it to himself first. He starts showing up for ultrasound appointments and becomes very supportive. In the end, upon revealing his identity to her and to the world, saying, ‘I'm the father, and I want to be there for these people,’ is a huge testament to him growing up, becoming responsible, becoming present, and it shows her what a good father he would be.”

While wanting to support Emma and be the father she’s hoping he could be, David is still conflicted about doing right by her and his biological offspring, as well as his father and brothers. “He has a lot of love and affection for Emma,” says Vaughn. “He realizes that his life and the way he conducts himself maybe doesn’t come off as the most consistent partner, but he wants to work on that because he does want to be a part of his child’s life, and he wants to be a part of Emma’s life.”

Opening soon the Philippines on Dec. 4, “Delivery Man” is a DreamWorks Picture distributed by Walt Disney Studios International.

"Delivery Man" - A Funny, Emotional Tale on Fatherhood

DreamWorks Pictures presents Vince Vaughn (“The Break-Up”), Chris Pratt (“Moneyball”) and Cobie Mulders (“Marvel's The Avengers”) in “Delivery Man,” a heartfelt comedy about the complexities of life, seizing the day and becoming the person you are destined to be.

In the film, David Wozniak (Vaughn) has always led a simple life. A delivery driver for his family’s meat company, he is seemingly content existing in a state of perpetual mediocrity. While David has a good heart, charming everyone he comes in contact with, he is immature, unfocused, in serious debt and in desperate need of some sense of direction in his life.

But when he finds out he is the biological father of 533 children and 142 of them are suing to learn his identity, everything changes, and David decides he wants to do the right thing and for once, be held accountable for his actions.

Written for the screen and directed by Ken Scott, “Delivery Man” is a re-telling of the 2011 French-Canadian comedy “Starbuck,” which was also directed by Scott. With a title derived from a notorious breeding bull with a record-setting number of offspring, the film is about an unremarkable guy who wakes up one day to find he has fathered 533 children. Expanding on the original story with humor and heart, “Delivery Man” revisits this seemingly unlikely, but ultimately very possible tale of fatherhood and family.

Scott recalls, “The idea came from my co-screenwriter, Martin Petit, who had this idea about a man who had many children. We wanted to write a comedy about fatherhood so we went for what we considered something extreme — a fertility donor who has 150 children. One month into the project, it was all over the media that a donor had discovered he had fathered 400 children! We were speechless and realized that our mere 150 was nothing compared to reality. So we actually had to bring up the numbers. We focused on creating a story that explores fatherhood in a playful and credible way.”

“Starbuck” premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, where it was selected as runner-up for the People’s Choice Award. The film went on to be named Most Popular Canadian Film at the 2011 Vancouver Film Festival and upon its theatrical release, became the most successful Quebec-made film that year.

The international popularity of “Starbuck” attracted the attention of many Hollywood producers who wanted to re-make the film for American audiences. Scott says, “I wanted to be there as a director and as a writer to make sure that this delicate balance between drama, emotion and comedy wasn’t compromised. Not many filmmakers have the opportunity to redo the same movie a second time. But I love the story.”

Although “Delivery Man” is a remake, it was important to the filmmakers that the American version not be an identical regurgitation of the original. Scott says, “The goal of the remake is to basically take the story and to integrate it with American culture. For me, it was very important to make sure that we were not simply copying something. It had to come from a real place.”

On its surface, “Delivery Man” is a comical look at a man facing an unimaginable quandary. But it is really a humanistic portrait of a man learning to accept his flaws and focus on turning his life around.

Executive Producer Mark Sourian says, “The thing that's so satisfying about the movie is we've found an extraordinary set of circumstances to put a character in the middle of. And yet those circumstances are very believable. There's a craziness to those circumstances that is comedic. You can't help but laugh.”

He concludes, “But there’s also a seriousness to it, and I think that blend creates a very unique tone for the movie that allows it to be funny but emotional and heartwarming.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Delivery Man” is a DreamWorks Picture distributed by Walt Disney Studios International.

First-Look: DreamWorks' New Comedy "Delivery Man"

DreamWorks Pictures’ new comedy “Delivery Man” stars Vince Vaughn as affable underachiever David Wozniak, whose anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier resulted in 533 children. David must now embark on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but also the father that he could become.

A DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment presentation, the film is written for the screen and directed by Ken Scott, based on “Starbuck,” the original screenplay written by Ken Scott and Martin Petit, and also stars Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders. “Delivery Man” is produced by André Rouleau and executive produced by Ray Angelic, Scott Mednick and Mark Sourian.

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Delivery Man” is a DreamWorks Picture distributed by Walt Disney Studios International. 

Production Underway for Captain America: The Winter Soldier

To celebrate the announcement that production has officially begun for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, here's a new photo featuring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers aka Captain America.

Here's what Marvel Studios had to say:

Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release, “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated release, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has commenced in Los Angeles, California, with production also including locations in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington D.C. Directing the film is the team of Anthony and Joe Russo (“Welcome to Collinwood”) from a screenplay written by Christopher Markus (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) & Stephen McFeely (“Captain America: The First Avenger”). “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” returns Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic super hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America, along with Scarlett Johansson (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man 2”) as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man 2”) as Nick Fury. In addition, film icon Robert Redford has joined the all-star cast as Agent Alexander Pierce, a senior leader within the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is set for release in the U.S. on April 4, 2014.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” will pick-up where “Marvel’s The Avengers” left off, as Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and teams up with Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C.

How I Met Your Mother S7E24 Spoilers - Barney's Bride

This is going to be short and sweet. If you haven't caught up with the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother you'll definitely be in for a big surprise as the show finally reveals who Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) ends up with in the future.

Apparently in the future Barney does get hitched and its with the girl half of us viewers were expecting... Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders aka Maria Hill from The Avengers). 

She definitely looks purrty in that bridal gown of hers.

Image source: How I Met Your Mother Wikia