Daddy's Home 2 Review
PG13: Suggestive Material and Some Language
Paramount Pictures, Gary Sanchez Productions
1 Hr and 40 Minutes
Dir: Sean Anders | Writers: Sean Anders, John Morris
Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, John Cena, John Lithgow, Mel Gibson, Scarlett Estevez, Owen Vaccaro, Alessandra Ambrosio, Didi Costine
INTRO: Several years ago, my sister and I went to the premiere of Daddy’s Home, and we didn’t like it. It was just another PG13 Will Ferrell comedy that did nothing but set up a simple premise and followed through with nothing of sequences of ad-libbing and physical comedy. It was successful, and they look a sequel. I already went through “A Bad Moms Christmas” now let's see if this is the lesser of two unnecessary sequels.
Following the events of the first film, Brad and Dusty (Will Ferrell & Mark Wahlberg) must deal with their intrusive fathers (John Lithgow & Mel Gibson) during the holidays, along with Dusty dealing with his step child's biological father, Roger (John Cena).
THE GOOD
I’m not going to lie, but Will Ferrell movies are my guilty pleasure of comedies. Where people I know would consider Adam Sandler movies as their guilty pleasure (and I have absolutely no idea why), Ferrell has been my muse. I laughed through “Get Hard,” I personally enjoyed “The House,” and you know what? I like this! Yeah. I liked “Daddy’s Home 2.”
Comedy is a hard thing to come by. Some people are good at it. Some people aren’t. Where “A Bad Moms Christmas” failed with its humor due to them being the same circle of raunchy and crude humor, “Daddy’s Home 2” succeeds because the humor surprisingly has range. Unlike that previous Christmas comedy, Daddy’s Home actually has writers who understand the basic concept of comedy where the humor has some hysterical written jokes, visual gags, ad libbed jokes, and many more humrous tactics to tickle you funny bone. Besides that, the performers' has been in numerous comedies and know how to have both onscreen presence and chemistry with each other. This is the third time Whalberg and Ferrell have been paired up, and they're enjoyable to watch. Every time Wahlberg and Ferrell share scenes of bromance, you can’t help but smile.
GRANDPAS STEAL THE SHOW
Though the movie is focused on them, they’re not the shining spots of the movie. It is the grandpas that really make this film. John Lithgow is this talkative charmer that you just want to hug because of his friendliness. As much as it pains me to say this, but the guy who made me laugh the most was Mel Gibson. Gibson had me laughing my ass off because all of the things his character says and does are everything Mel Gibson stuff would do. You have a Gibson as this curmudgeon and cynical grandpa. He makes inappropriate jokes; he makes sexist jokes about hookers, he laughs at nearly everything stupid Ferrell does. The only thing he doesn’t do that is similar to the real Gibson does is call black people the “N” word (which probably explains why Hannibal Buress isn’t back in this).
What I do like about this film opposed to its predecessor is its heart. Whatever it lacks in story and consistent humor, it makes up for it in its good nature. While other Christmas films released in past several years lacked the true meaning of Christmas and tried too hard just to be shock value comedies, this wears its heart right on its sleeve, and I respect it for that. You can do much worse with “Daddy’s Home 2,” but it is rightfully joyful and more entertaining than it needs to be. Granted, you can tell there wasn’t much effort with its filmmaking, but for the time being, there was heart when it came to shooting.
THE BAD
PHYSICAL COMEDY ISN'T THAT FUNNY
When walking into a Will Ferrell movie, the #1 thing you should expect out of it is a crap ton of physical comedy where people get comically injured. It was well executed in “The House,” but here its there for cheap laughs. What I hate about it is that it tries way too hard so many of times. The physical comedy is just utilized for running gags that are run into the ground. A joke can hit hard once, bit when its done over and over again; it becomes tedious. That often reoccurs with this movie. The physical comedy does grow on you after a while where someone would just get injured out of nowhere, and it works.
WHAT IS A PLOT
In honesty, there is no plot to “Daddy’s Home 2.” All there is nothing but a series of vignettes and subplots that are set up so that it can play into a punchline that would come in towards the third act. How does this plot of this family going on vacation is set up? Oh, Dusty’s dad books an Air BNB a place at a lodge for like eight people and you’re there going, “That's not how Air BNB works. There is no way Air BNB would be that reliably accessible.” After that, you have nothing but subplots amongst subplots. I’ll be damned if some of them weren’t funny but there is no real story beyond “Hey granddads are home for Christmas.”
TOO MUCH CAST, SO LITTLE SCREEN TIME
Since this family has gotten bigger since the ending of the first film, a lot of actors have less screen time. Linda Cardellini is not given anything to do this time around but just hang around Alessandra Ambrosio with a subplot that goes nowhere. The kids are used for a lot of the shock value humor which never comes across as shocking but more of just weird especially with what they do with the son. And of course, John Cena is only in the movie for the final 20 minutes of the film, and they use him to his advantage. Cena has been thoroughly proving himself to be a good comedic actor, and this solidifies it. Shoot because of him; this movie was raised a star because of how much he made me laugh. I just wish he was part of the entire story instead of just waiting to see when his schedule was clear for him to film.
LAST STATEMENT
Marginally better than the predecessor thanks to the additional cast, and its heart and charm, “Daddy’s Home 2” is a solid Christmas comedy that may be forgettable but thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.
Rating: 3/5 | 63%
Super Scene: Retelling of Jesus reenactment gone wrong.
