6/10 - More like "Meat Truck Man" amirite?
Delivery Man is based on a french movie called Starbuck, that a good reviewer might have watched before writing a review. I'm not a good reviewer.
The mixed reviews for Delivery Man are accurate. It's a great concept with a great cast, but I kept thinking there are so many missed opportunities in this film. Missed chances for comedy, for a more dynamic plot, for more interesting characters. One of the reasons I think writer/directors are not always a great idea. This was well written, and well directed, but a separate voice might have improved this film tremendously.
Here's the plot rundown: Vince Vaughn as David Wozniak, donated sperm under the pseudonym Starbuck for many years, and then 20 years later all the many hundreds of kids he helped produce decide to try and find him.
The first 10 minutes of this movie are so dreadfully boring that you might wonder if you accidentally started watching a real life documentary about depressing jobs in America. I went on Wikipedia to double check that it was, in fact, meant to be a comedy. Typically, Vince Vaughn spearheads comedies that cater to his strengths, fast talking absurd situations. Surprisingly, this is neither and I wished it was. Despite Vince Vaughn being naturally funny, and Bobby Moynihan playing his younger brother, nothing is particularly funny until Wozniak's friend Brett shows up, played by Chris Pratt. Somehow the movie gods shined upon his role because he injects the first moments of laugh out loud comedy. Chris Pratt really shines in this movie being effortlessly hilarious in a movie so nuanced, more seasoned comedians fell flat.
Cobie Smulders play's Wozniak's girlfriend, Emma, a cop. My first gut reaction is to throw my arms in the air, overjoyed by the fact that Emma is a cop. She is casually playing a role typically reserved for males on screen, showing that her character has her own life with consequences, and it's not the butt of a joke. That being said, Cobie is hilarious and she doesn't get the chance to make a single joke in the whole movie. She's a buzzkill, ruining the momentum in every scene she's in. It's not really the fault of Cobie who is a great actress, but rather the fact that David's life with Emma represents the serious steps toward adulthood and responsibility and that's not so funny. Every scene does not have to be comedic, but they do have to be entertaining.
I was also quite put off by the fact that every one of the kids in this movie who David helped create, considers him their "real" father, or "biological" father, or something to that effect. Granted the movie proposes that of the many hundreds of children that David helped create, only a smaller percent chose to actively investigate his identity. I also understand that this movie is about David accepting fatherhood through very extreme circumstances. However, I was desperate for someone to stand up and remind those kids that they had their own real parents. Not adoptive parents. Parents. These kids had families that choose to have kids and choose to get pregnant through this method. At what point is it okay to imply that real parents who raised these kids are not as important as someone who provided the DNA but never wanted kids themselves. Again, that's not the point of the movie. I just felt like it was a strange message to put on the screen, pretending that their real parents don't exist. Also, can we talk about why his kids are 80% male?
I've been doing quite a lot of complaining, but this isn't really a bad movie. Many of these complaints stem from the fact that this feels like a great movie in disguise. With some more polish and punchier jokes, it would be a great comedy. This is a movie about family and fulfilling the desire to be a better person. It's quite heartfelt and there's nothing wrong with a movie that can put a smile on your face. This is one of those movies that tries to discover the unbridled optimism in everyday life, and that's why I go to the movies. 
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