Luke Greenfield’s Action-Comedy Playdate Struggles With Shaky Action, Flat Humor, and Wasted Talent

Director Luke Greenfield returns with Playdate, a new action-comedy now streaming on Prime Video (watch it on Prime Video), but early impressions quickly spiral into disappointment. Within the first 15 minutes, the film raises the question of whether it might be genuinely insufferable, and by the halfway point, the answer seems overwhelmingly clear. Despite not being the “worst-made” movie, Playdate stands out as a rare example of a film that feels devoid of value, offering little more than formless, flavorless streaming “content.”

At its core, Playdate merges the familiar “secret badass parent” setup—seen in titles like Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Spy Kids—with the classic “awkward guy paired with cool guy” buddy dynamic. Kevin James stars as windbreaker-wearing Brian, a schlubby stepdad trying to bond with young Lucas (Benjamin Pajak). Oddly, the film skips over the expected father-son tension; Lucas immediately showers Brian with affection, calling him “Dad” and saying “I love you” before viewers even learn he isn’t his biological father.

Brian soon meets Jeff (Alan Ritchson, known for Reacher), an over-the-top, hyper-friendly father whose intense roughhousing with his unnervingly stoic son CJ (Banks Pierce) borders on surreal. Jeff practically forces an instant playdate between their sons. Things escalate when paramilitary attackers suddenly target the group, attempting to kill the dads and capture CJ. From here, the movie unravels into a repetitive series of chases and exposition that rarely deliver excitement or emotional investment.

The action struggles most. Greenfield leans heavily on extreme shaky-cam and choppy editing, especially during car chases, creating a visually chaotic experience that makes it nearly impossible to appreciate whatever choreography might exist. Even with Ritchson’s action background in Reacher, the film fails to tap into his strengths.

Greenfield also litters the movie with references to other films—particularly 1990s hits like Forrest Gump and Reservoir Dogs—often feeling more like pandering than homage. He even inserts a clip from his own movie The Girl Next Door, a move so blatantly self-referential it borders on parody.

As a comedy, Playdate suffers further. Despite an impressive lineup of comedic talent—Stephen Root, Paul Walter Hauser, Isla Fisher, Sarah Chalke, and Alan Tudyk—their appearances feel like quick, forgettable cameos that could have been filmed in a single afternoon. None are given material that allows them to showcase their strengths. Instead, the film leans on raunchy gags, awkward profanity-based humor, and a recurring reliance on children saying words like “bitch” as punchlines. Even more perplexing, the film’s dialogue includes awkward ADR swaps that suggest stronger language was toned down to avoid an R rating, leaving exchanges sounding mismatched and clumsy.

Ritchson, to his credit, commits fully to his role as the goofy ex-soldier Jeff, even though the script saddles him with inconsistent moral beats—including a shocking, off-screen act of violence involving children in the climax that feels wildly misjudged. The film also attempts comedic bits like a TikTok parody called “DikDok”, which lands with a thud.

In the end, Playdate becomes a blend of ugly visuals, flat comedy, and grating characters, embodying the worst clichés of modern streaming originals. What should have been a fun buddy adventure instead becomes a reminder that not all direct-to-streaming projects are created equal—and some may test your patience more than they entertain.

Director: Luke Greenfield
Writer: Neil Goldman
Cast: Kevin James, Alan Ritchson, Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root, Isla Fisher
Release Date: November 12, 2025