Have you lost "that lovin' feeling?"

That crippling thought rattles the peace of mind of one stale suburban couple in "Date Night." Trust me. It's not because Daryl Hall and John Oates belt out these words on this slick flick's soundtrack.

Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) are an average, frazzled, 21st-century husband and wife.

He's an accountant. She's a real estate agent. They've got kids, cars, a house and a mortgage. And like so many couples today, they've got just enough stamina for one weekly date night and a "quickie" sex session to wrap it up – if they're lucky.

Caught up in their "happy" family life like hamsters on a wheel, the pair shakes things up dramatically after friends announce their separation.

Off to the city they go for a "special" date night. Claire puts on a killer dress. Phil dons cologne and his best manners. But one wrong move turns their heavenly dinner into a date night from hell.

Suddenly, this boring duo from the burbs is caught up in a crazy identity switcheroo à la Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest."

Bad cops try to kill them. A mafia boss wants to cover up "what they know," which is zilch as "Date Night" begins. Even a snotty restaurant hostess gives these out-of-towners attitude while they're on the run.

It all sounds too ridiculous to work. But "Date Night" does. Here's why:

Chemistry: Remember "The Thin Man's" Nick and Nora, Hepburn and Tracy or Desi and Lucy? Carell, 47, and Fey, 39, may have never worked together before on a movie. But their on-screen chemistry sparkles. Their neurotic repartee is witty and engaging. Even when they're dirtied up to the nines this duo cooks up sparks that Hollywood has missed for decades.

Action: Bond-style car chases. Puke-inducing chases on foot. Badass shoot 'em ups. Fey and Carell should get danger pay for all the action-adventure they slam into this caper.

Laughs: Imagine this. Conservative Claire and Phil sneak into a strip club VIP suite to crack this case. She dons a wig and a "Wild, Wild, West" bustier. Phil wears rapper sweats. They stumble into action, with Phil urging the missus to "Get in there and pop some kootch." It's laughs, chutzpah and great comedic timing like this that turn this hellish outing into a heavenly blast.

Eye candy: Thank you God for Mark Wahlberg! In a tongue-and-cheek tribute to his Marky Mark days, a shirtless Wahlberg becomes this couple's saviour. His hotness makes Claire drool. His hotter girlfriend (Gal Gadot) makes Phil feel like he's looking into an awesome laser. The sexy camp plays like gold.

Real-life appeal: Does this scenario sound familiar? "Mommy I want breakfast," yells one of the Foster's children, jumping onto their bed at 4:59 am.

Phil's eye pop above his Breathe Right nasal strip. Exhausted Claire groans, "And so it begins."

It's an honest moment that reflects the harried reality of what many couples experience today.

Fey and Carell are both married and have children. Maybe that's why they never mock parenthood or marriage in this oddball adventure. They never turn Phil and Claire into clichés. For that alone "Date Night's" unwitting heroes get the thumb's up.

Style and smarts: Not many actors could make a bedroom moment involving a drool-covered mouth guard look great. But for all that everyday "ick" we see in "Date Night," Fey and Carell have the chops to pull it off. That makes this "Date Night" all right by me.

Three and a half stars out of four.