Playdate “Fun, fights, and friendship, all before bedtime”

Review – Playdate (Prime Video) “Fun, fights, and friendship, all before
bedtime.” “Playtime just got explosive.”
Director: Luke Greenfield
Featuring: Alan Ritchson, Kevin James, Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Benjamin Pajak,
Banks Pierce, Hiro Kanagawa, with Stephen Root and Isla Fisher
Playdate is a warm, goofy, family-friendly film that Prime Video has been quietly nailing
lately. Honestly? It works because everyone involved knows exactly what movie they
are in. This is a silly, slightly over-the-top, heart-snuggled action-comedy that doesn’t
pretend to be deeper than it is. It just wants you to have fun on your couch with
popcorn, the kids laughing next to you, and Alan Ritchson being the charming mountain
of charisma he always is.
Let’s start there, because Ritchson is the heartbeat of Playdate. Ritchson is in full
comedic mode, loose, playful, and downright infectious. He’s the guy who can punch
someone through a wall and then flash a smile that says, “Sorry, force of habit.” The
comedy lands because he commits, and you believe every bit of his sweet-but-clueless
energy. Ritchson has this natural ability to shift from deadpan humour to big-hearted
sincerity, and the film uses that to its advantage. When he’s having fun, you’re having
fun.
The story itself follows a pretty classic setup: a simple playdate that goes wildly off the
rails, dragging a regular family into a world of action and danger they absolutely did not
sign up for. Luke Greenfield knows how to blend genres—he’s proved that before—but
here the balance wobbles a bit. The movie swings from goofy kid-centred jokes to full-
on action sequences to surprisingly emotional beats about parenting and responsibility.
And while each part works on its own, they don’t always flow together as smoothly as
they could. You can feel the movie trying to serve kids, teens, parents, and action
junkies all at once.
Still, with this cast? The film stays afloat.
Kevin James brings that familiar warm, every-dad energy he’s known for, grounding the
movie when it starts to tip into absurdity.
Sarah Chalke is lovely. She’s the exasperated, competent mom who’s always two
seconds away from losing it. She’s still trying to hold the entire family together.
Alan Tudyk? Always a win in movies like Playdate. Give that man any line, and he’ll flip
it into something unexpected and hilarious.
Benjamin Pajak and Banks Pierce hold their own as the kids, keeping the emotional
heart beating between the stronger comedic scenes.

Stephen Root pops in, effortlessly stealing moments the way he always does, and Isla
Fisher’s charm is just… automatic. Even in her smaller scenes, she adds a spark that
reminds you why she’s one of the best at balancing sincerity with sly humour. Hiro
Kanagawa is solid as ever, adding a little more dramatic weight when needed.
The movie stumbles trying to be everything all at once. The action is surprising for a
family comedy. Still, it doesn’t always sit comfortably next to the more serious storyline
about trust, second chances, and stepping up for the people you love. Some scenes feel
like they belong in a totally different movie. But here’s the thing: whenever it risks
losing you, Ritchson pulls it back with that incredibly watchable, larger-than-life
presence.
Playdate isn’t perfect, but this one is undeniably fun. The kind of fun where you’re
smiling without realizing it. The type of fun where your kids are shouting at the screen,
you’re laughing at a joke written for the adults, and somehow it all works. It has heart.
It has silliness. It has Alan Ritchson doing precisely what you want from him.
If you want a thoughtful, tightly structured action-comedy, this isn’t that. But if you
want a cozy movie night with good laughs, some surprisingly sweet moments, and a
cast that thoroughly understands the assignment? Playdate is absolutely worth hitting
play on.
Family movie night: secured.