David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn – Wedding Crashers) is a well-meaning drifter who hasn’t really achieved much in life. Riddled with debt and a long-suffering girlfriend who’s waiting for him to step up to the plate, David coasts through life without any real responsibility. That is until the day he finds out that he has fathered over 500 children thanks to a fertility clinic mix-up. And now all of these kids want to get to know their biological Dad.
Delivery Man is a remake of the French-Canadian comedy Starbuck that received good critical reception in 2012. This reboot is pretty much a direct scene-for-scene remake but it still manages to come out as an uplifting story of hope and second chances.
Vince Vaughn is a comedy genius but it’s been a long time since he really impressed in a film. He’s one of the few guys on the circuit who can really carry a movie on autopilot and his recent endeavours The Internship and The Watch prove this. Delivery Man gives Vaughn a good, solid character to play with and the actor does a tremendous job here. Vaughn’s burgeoning relationship with his kids is fantastic to watch unfold as is the journey he takes as a person.
Chris Pratt does a great job providing support as David’s hapless best friend and lawyer looking to make a name for himself, whilst Cobie Smulders does well as David’s frustrated girlfriend. Simon Delaney and Bobby Moynihan are also reliable as his brothers.
The story delves into the many problems that David’s kids are experiencing and each one gives Vaughn a good opportunity to really broaden his scope. Britt Robertson does exceptionally well as a broken young woman that’s struggling to find her footing in life. Adam Chanler-Berat is on-hand for light comedic relief as a peculiar soul who first finds out David’s secret whilst Jack Reynor plays a would-be actor stuck in a dead-end job. The camp Starbuck scene where all of David’s children meet up is an absolute joy and will certainly leave you shedding a tear or two.
Delivery Man is a heartfelt comedy that’s hard not to love. It may be a direct copy of the original but it still manages to tug at the heart-strings whilst delivering a sincere and laugh-out-loud story. This is without doubt Vince Vaughn’s best film in years and with a solid supporting cast in tow, Delivery Man is a very unexpected treat indeed.
