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Daddy’s Home 2
(Paramount Pictures)
By Lucas Allen
The first “Daddy’s Home” was certainly a hit for many reasons other than its runaway success at the box office. Reteaming Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg from the 2010 hit “The Other Guys” proved to be a fruitful case, as they spend two days fighting hilariously with each other for their family.
For the sequel “Daddy’s Home 2,” director Sean Anders and co-writer John Morris upped the ante on the comedy while adding the holiday aspect to the story. Fans of the first film, along with “Elf,” will definitely enjoy it, especially for putting Ferrell in a Christmas movie.
The dueling dads, Brad Whitaker (Ferrell) and Dusty Mayron (Wahlberg), are now co-dads for Brad’s wife Sara (Linda Cardellini) and their three children. But adding to it is Dusty’s new wife, Adrianna (Didi Costine), and rebellious pre-teen daughter, whose father, Roger (John Cena), still doesn’t approve of Dusty. With Christmas coming up, Brad and Dusty agree to host a Christmas gathering for all the kids. Not long after that, they discover that Brad has invited both Dusty’s ex-astronaut father, Kurt (Mel Gibson), and Brad’s loving father, Don (John Lithgow), for the holidays.
This very extended family goes to a cabin resort for the Christmas week as a way of celebrating the festivities. It quickly leads to one hilarious incident after another, as Brad and Dusty’s old feud is reignited, Kurt gives the worst parenting advice and the kids get into all kinds of trouble on their own. This is one Christmas vacation that even the Griswolds are glad they’re not part of.
The first film suffers from awkward humor when it tries to balance a tonal shift between outrageous comedy and heartwarming comedy. Fortunately, this sequel rectifies the issue by sticking closer to the outrageous humor without changing shifts too fast. There are some heartwarming moments that fit especialy well in the holiday setting. With a refined script and fine direction, this movie delivers just enough good laughs to sustain its 100-minute runtime.
However, there are still the usual issues routine for any comedy sequel when it repeats some of the same jokes and pratfalls from the first film. In fact, they even go as far as make references to the first film that fans can recognize. It’s the kind of laziness that these films are often criticized for. Still, there are fresh funny moments mostly involving the new characters that helps the plot run smoother. Plus, its spirited finale is actually pretty satisfying if you can get past some off-the-wall humor.
Ferrell and Wahlberg are once again a riot together, bringing their conflicted personalities to their comic chemistry. They’re able to play off of each other like a modern day Abbott and Costello with their frenetic word play and physical comedy. The addition of Gibson and Lithgow offers freshness in all of their scenes, with the former stealing the show as the most outrageous of them all. Fans of Cena, however, will be very disappointed that his character isn’t given enough screen time — he makes only an extended cameo.
“Daddy’s Home 2” isn’t going down in history as one of the greatest sequels of all time, but it’s still a holiday treat for comedy lovers everywhere. It’s like “Home Alone 2,” only replacing the traps with eggnog and snowballs. It wouldn’t be surprising if its success will lead to a third movie, but how they will try to top this sequel is anybody’s guess.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for suggestive material and some language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)
