Kevin James and Alan Ritchson in “Playdate.”
Prime Video/David Bukach
Playdate, an action comedy starring Reacher star Alan Ritchson and Kevin James, is new on streaming — and the movie is getting splattered by Rotten Tomatoes critics.
Rated PG-13, Playdate begins streaming on Prime Video on Wednesday. The official summary for the movie reads, “When recently unemployed accountant Brian (James) agrees to a playdate with charismatic stay-at-home dad Jeff (Ritchson) and their sons, he expects an easy afternoon of small talk and football tossing. Instead, he’s thrust into a chaotic scramble to stay alive as they are pursued by a ruthless team of mercenaries.
“Brian stumbles through one ridiculous obstacle after another, his zero tactical skills a stark contrast to Jeff’s oddly prepared demeanor. Director Luke Greenfield (Let’s Be Cops, The Girl Next Door) hilariously collides suburban dad life with high-stakes thrills, transforming an ordinary afternoon into an absurd action-packed adventure where minivan mayhem meets professional hitmen.”
As of the publication of this article, Playdate has earned a 17% “rotten” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus, audience summary and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Playdate’?
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com is among the critics on RT giving Playdate a “rotten” rating, writing in his review summary, “It’s a remarkably stupid movie that thinks you’re remarkably stupid, too.”
Also ripping the film on RT is the AV Club’s Matt Donato, who writes, “When people complain about the death of mainstream comedies, it’s bottom-feeding films like Playdate that are the genre’s executioner.”
Gregory Nussen of Screen Rant also rips on the film on RT, writing, “Regressive and devoid of genuine laughs, the Kevin James/Alan Ritchson action is drowning in dated machismo.”
Playdate, however, does have a pair of “fresh” reviews as of this writing, including M.N. Miller of Fandom Wire, who writes that “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.”
Playdate’s only other “fresh” review on RT is by Peter Gray from The AU Review, who writes, “This is hardly going to change anyone’s day, but I dare say that Ritchson opposing his monstrous frame with a schoolboy enthusiasm is worth the streaming minutes alone; may you never look at Reacher the same way again.”
Also starring Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Benjamin Pajak, Banks Pierce, Hiro Kanagawa, Stephen Root and Isla Fisher, Playdate is streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/11/12/playdate-rotten-tomatoes-critics-crush-alan-ritchson-and-kevin-james-comedy/
