“This is something a Dad needs to handle.”

Less kid friendly than expected and aimed more towards grown-ups, Playdate looks like an early 2000’s film starring Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel (or insert any other intimidating meathead) with a precious little child, but it’s actually quite the opposite. The movie has lots of adult language, plenty of action where people die explicitly or more gently off-screen, and I even wrote down in my notes that it borderline felt R-rated in spots. I don’t mind the vulgarity either; it’s just that this film doesn’t really seem to know what it is, and because of this it’s tonally inconsistent from start to finish. At least it’s watchable; just consider who else is in the room with you first.

The movie begins with two men and two kids on a high speed chase before abruptly transitioning to 24 hours earlier. There, Brian Jennings (Kevin James) tries to bond with his stepson Lucas (Benjamin Pajak) over sports even though he’d prefer dancing. Meanwhile, Jeff (Alan Ritchson) and CJ (Banks Pierce) are nearby in the same park but engaging in an entirely different type of gladiator-esque play. The brawny Jeff latches onto the teddy bear Brian, Lucas finds an audience in CJ, and the quartet go back to Jeff’s home for a quick little titular playdate. But it’s clear something is off, and that this isn’t really a home after all.

In Playdate, the absurd plot serves as a vehicle for hijinks and mayhem, but there isn’t very much room for story to build either. One of the brief exhales comes in the form of the playground brigade group led by the bullying Leslie (Isla Fisher). They drag cigarettes, drink wine from Yeti’s, and haul their kids to get fed by massive restaurant groups branded as neighborhood joints. It’s a mini Mom mafia of sorts, and they smell B.S. when it comes to Brian and Jeff’s neanderthal ways. You don’t want to cross these mom’s or their minivans on the highway, and in a clever decision, the men steal a car so they can blend in. Apparently a silver Honda Odyssey is the ultimate getaway vehicle, especially when it’s blaring “The Rhythm of the Night.” It’s a stupid and silly and funny set piece grounded by better than expected action direction.

So much of this film is ridiculous and nonsensical, but never to the point that it’s head scratching either, mostly due to the dedicated Ritchson’s over-the-top performance. Anyone who saw him before Reacher knows him as the buffoonish Thad from Blue Mountain State, and here he once again gets to use his physicality in a way that’s both menacing and hilarious. I can almost imagine a version of this movie that’s more coherent, funny, and meta had it solely focused on his character and the brawn mixed with the overall ineptitude of Jeff. Kind of like Mission: Impossible led by a brawny Mr. Bean. That sounds potentially hilarious, which makes it too bad that Playdate merely settles for being borderline funny.

“You can’t force it.”

Rating: 2.5 out of 5