First Date

A barrage of gunfire and wah-wah guitars, plus a surprising amount of novelty and heart for a film that can feel as if it's a road trip through the directors' inspirations.

A loose, episodic story held together by our hopes for Mike and Kelsey. It works better in the first half than the second, as the adventures get wilder and more lethal.

There's sweetness ... but it gets lost in a sea of dead bodies and spent shell casings with a bloody climax that takes up too many of its already overlong 103 minutes.

First Date feels like a throwback caper to something you'd find on cable, funny yet full of action with a generous helping of a timeless romance for good measure. It's the kind of movie you come across and have to see how it ends.

The whole ill-fated affair spins like a choppy rollercoaster ride, with not much substance to offer beyond a few cheap thrills.

"First Date" is a very ambitious independent film with a charming, casual attitude.

Writer-director pair Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp have constructed a caper of mistakes, mayhem, and misinformation that is both consistently funny and consistently low on energy.

High energy levels and a couple of engaging characters help to hold interest even as this action comedy becomes too messy for its own good.

One of the most tightly written films of the year, this is also one of the funniest.

First Date is a date you may want to end early.