Alan Ritchson’s Action Comedy Tanks With Critics but Thrives on Streaming
Alan Ritchson is getting attention for his role in the buddy action comedy Playdate, even though critics weren’t impressed. Directed by Luke Greenfield and written by Neil Goldman, the film stars Ritchson alongside Kevin James, Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Benjamin Pajak, Banks Pierce, Hiro Kanagawa, Stephen Root, and Isla Fisher.
The movie follows Brian (Kevin James), a recently unemployed accountant and father, who arranges a weekend playdate for his stepson Lucas (Benjamin Pajak) with Jeff (Alan Ritchson), a confident stay-at-home dad. Things take a wild turn when the two fathers and their sons are targeted by mercenaries, leading to a mix of action and comedy.
Playdate was released on Amazon Prime Video on November 12, and quickly became the number one film in the U.S., maintaining its top spot. Despite the streaming success, critics were largely negative. On Rotten Tomatoes, only 18% of 22 critic reviews were positive, while Metacritic gave the film a score of 20 out of 100 based on five reviews, indicating “generally unfavorable” reception.
Even with the critical backlash, fans and some reviewers praised Ritchson’s performance. M.N. Miller of FandomWire wrote, “Ritchson steals every scene with absurd energy and surprising warmth, like a big golden retriever trapped in a comic book hero’s body. Sweet, impetuous, and goofy, he’s incredibly likable.”
The film also features Kevin James as Brian trying to balance life as a newly unemployed dad while his wife Emily (Sarah Chalke) works extra shifts at the hospital. Meanwhile, Ritchson’s character Jeff quickly bonds with Lucas’ son CJ (Banks Pierce), setting the stage for comedy and action to unfold.
While critics didn’t warm up to Playdate, its success on Amazon Prime shows that audiences are enjoying the high-energy performances, especially Ritchson’s, proving that a movie can thrive with viewers even if it struggles with reviewers.
It’s clear that Alan Ritchson’s charm and energy are a major highlight, and the movie’s streaming popularity suggests audiences are hungry for fun, action-packed comedies. What do you think should Playdate have received better critical attention, or do viewers get the final say? Share your thoughts in the comments.