Carell and Fey strike comedy gold in “Date Night”

Most romantic comedies shy away from guns, larceny and car chases, but Steve Carell and Tina Fey have never really done things by the book.

While the action scenes are a definite departure from their comedies on NBC, Fey, the creator and executive producer of “30 Rock,” and Carell, writer and actor for “The Office” pack two hilarious performances in “Date Night” that are sure to captivate audiences.

The duo plays Phil and Claire Foster in the film, which opened Friday. The couple is looking for a special night out. But when they take a chance and snag someone else’s reservation at a fancy New York restaurant, their lives turn interesting.

A mix-up later, dirty cops are chasing the couple thinking they are two drug addicts with major dirt on the city’s district attorney. Unable to turn to police, Claire enlists the help of ex-detective and former client Holbrooke, played by Mark Wahlberg.

Action-packed scenes, physical comedy and great one-liners have you laughing through the credits. Although the lead actors had never formally worked together, the comedians know each other from their work at Second City in Chicago.

It is clear from their interviews that the two are very supportive of each other’s work. In an interview with the “Today Show,” Carell said to Matt Lauer, “[Tina] exceeded every expectation I had of who she would be and how good she is.”

In fact, many scenes were improvised while shooting, which they discussed on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” “In almost every scene, there’s a little [improvising],” Fey said. “For example, Steve licking a stripper pole and then immediately getting nauseous.”

The film also stacks a powerful supporting cast, including Mila Kunis, James Franco, Kristen Wiig and Mark Ruffalo. When asked by E! News about the caliber of actors working on the film, Fey said, “We got very, very lucky.”

Visit datenight-movie.com for more information about the movie. Catch “Date Night” in theaters now.