Two of America’s comedy sweethearts team up for this comic caper of mistaken identity in a sort of True Lies meets National Lampoons romp.

Steve Carell (most recently of The Office US fame) and Tina Fey (30 Rock) are Phil and Claire Foster, an average New Jersey couple with kids, each secretly yearning to escape their foggy haze of suburban contentment and whose idea of adventure is choosing something different on the menu.

And so, in an attempt to inject some pizzazz back into their flagging relationship, the pair head to the big smoke for a rare night out only to find themselves inadvertently caught up in a trail of corruption involving dirty cops, dodgy DAs and, of course, a New York mob boss – played by ageing Goodfella Ray Liotta, in what would appear to be a rather deliberate tongue-in-cheek casting.

It is in fact a movie littered with a host of ensemble star turns – from Mark Wahlberg and his impressive pecs (a character in their own right), to a tattooed, roughed-up James Franco playing a low-level street con, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from Mark Ruffalo and pop-up performances from other familiar faces William Fichtner, Jimmi Simpson and Taraji P Henson.

Billed as an action comedy, there are a good few laughs along the way however there are times the dialogue feels overly-cued and too rehearsed, resulting in that awkward forced humour feeling, and some of the scenes, most notably the couple’s restaurant table talk, feel too contrived.

Nor are any of the laughs very original; similar to the aforementioned Schwarzenegger/Curtis pairing in 1994’s True Lies, the premise of a stagnating couple tiring of their married 2.4 lifestyle and rediscovering their zest for life thanks to an unlikely adventure, serves up a lot of well-trodden scenarios.

There are some thoroughly amusing moments however including a farcical turn in a shady lap-dancing club, an obligatory car chase with a humorous twist, and the pair’s “refashioning” to get into a too-cool-for-school eatery is also memorable. Carell’s “zip your face” routine could soon even have a place in movies’ most-quoted.

It isn’t rocket science, this is an unashamed popcorn pleaser, but with its 15 certificate, director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen, Just Married) is going for the “grown-up” laughs, perhaps with that Saturday Night Live audience in mind.

An enjoyable if slightly unoriginal romp, Date Night is perfect fodder for date night.