"SURPRISINGLY FUNNY" ACTION COMEDY WITH REACHER STAR ALAN RITCHSON TOPS UK STREAMING CHART
Playdate, the "surprisingly funny" action comedy starring Alan Ritchson and Kevin James, has topped Prime Video's streaming chart following its release earlier this week. Despite negative reviews from critics, it seems to be a hit with general audiences.
The film sees James portray Brian, an unemployed accountant who helps his son, Lucas (Benjamin Pajak), make friends. They meet stay-at-home dad Jeff (Ritchson) and his son Wyatt (Banks Pierce), but they find themselves in the crosshairs of mercenaries.
Written by Neil Goldman and directed by Luke Greenfield, Playdate was released on Prime Video on Wednesday (12 November), and it has proved to be a success with viewers as it has sat atop the streamer's worldwide film chart since Thursday (via FlixPatrol).
This comes after a generally negative reception from professional critics, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting a meagre approval rating of 18% from 22 reviews. Its average user rating on IMDb is better, currently standing at 5.5 out of 10.
"I had a lot of fun with this one. It really feels like a bunch of Reacher fans got drunk and started one-upping each other before deciding to actually make the film. It's fast-paced for the most part… The humour is low brow, but somehow it works," wrote one user.
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"Alan Ritchson killed it. They actually worked well together. I was screaming laughing when he fought the kid at the park. I did not expect anything and really enjoyed it," opined another viewer as they called it "surprisingly funny".
Another viewer was also full of praise, writing: "Seriously it's a fun movie to watch, especially if you're a big fan of Kevin James and Alan Ritchson. Just don't go in expecting to see an academy award winning masterpiece."
"This movie is exactly what you're getting from a streaming movie. Alan Ritchson and Kevin James are a fun duo and they bounce off each other very well. The comedy and action is done very well," wrote another user.
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There were some negative reviews, however, with one user remarking: "What a disappointment of a great cast… The script is so bad that it is not funny at all. Plot is so terrible and the characters just meander meaninglessly."
In addition to Ritchson and James, the cast for the action comedy includes Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root, Isla Fisher and Hiro Kanagawa, while Paul Walter Hauser makes a cameo appearance.
Playdate is streaming now on Prime Video.
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2025-11-16T17:08:50Z