To say that Delivery Man is Vince Vaughn's best movie in years isn't saying much, considering that he has produced absolute garbage for the last six years. But Delivery Man is surprisingly decent, even if it is a completely unnecessary remake of the French-Canadian film Starbuck.

Which is only a year old. And directed by the exact same guy.

Why someone would commit months to recreating the exact same movie is beyond me, except for the obvious: money. But for whatever reason, Ken Scott remade his perfectly entertaining comedy-drama Starbuck, about a lovable loser who learns he is the father of 500+ children, with the past-his-prime Vaughn and added doses of Hollywood cheesiness. The movie is a near shot-by-shot remake, the script nearly identical as well, and still...

Delivery Man isn't half bad.

Vaughn delivers his calmest performance in years, a welcome reprieve from his shtick that has grown increasingly obnoxious since his career peak in Wedding Crashers and The Break-Up. The typical Vince Vaughn mannerisms still seep through - compared to Starbuck's Patrick Huard he is a bit abrasive for the part - but the actor restrains himself well enough to match the film's general tone and genre, which can best be described as a lighthearted drama with humor rather than a comedy.

Whereas Vaughn works adequately well for the role, Chris Pratt ("Parks and Recreation") is perfectly suited for the supporting role of his lawyer, who balances the straight man routine with charming idiot quite well. Cobie Smulders is fine in a smaller role, though she isn't given much to work with.

The rest of the supporting cast - various unrecognizable actors who play Vaughn's kids - are a mixed bag; director Ken Scott did a better job with his French-Canadian cast, getting more out of them and making their characters more relatable. The young men and women here feel more like caricatures than real people, and Vaughn's interest in them feels more forced.

Considering you probably haven't seen Starbuck and never will, I want to step back and rate Delivery Man on its own merits rather than compare it the original. Easier said than done. Starbuck is so fresh in my mind it's challenging to separate the two, or at the very least view Delivery Man through a fresh lens. But here's my trying:

Delivery Man is a decent movie. It isn't hilarious and it's far from perfect, but it's mildly entertaining and generally harmless. The concept is clever even if it doesn't make much sense when you think about it, and it is Vince Vaughn's best movie in years. Again, that's not saying much, but at this point, the actor better take it.

Review by Erik Samdahl.