Daddy's Home 2

Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow, Linda Cardellini, Alessandra Ambrosio, John Cena, Scarlett Estevez, Owen Vaccaro, Didi Costine, Chelsey Sullenberger, Liam Neeson (uncredited)
Directed by: Sean Anders
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Brad (Will Ferrell) and Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) face new challenges when their fathers (John Lithgow, Mel Gibson) show up for the holidays.

Review:

Tim: I was roundly disappointed with Daddy's Home, so I went into this sequel with a good amount of trepidation. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this film is superior to the original in nearly every aspect. Director Sean Anders doesn't do enough for this to be a good movie, but it's a clear improvement over the first film. That doesn't happen very often, especially with comedies, so while I still wish this movie was better, I marvel that it's as good as it is.

There's no surprise why this movie is better- the addition of Mel Gibson and John Lithgow elevates the cast substantially. And, it's not just that they are great actors (they are), but the idea of the two characters we connected with in the first film having their own daddy issues is a brilliant one. In the first movie, they were fighting dads and now, we get to see their own fathers and their fathers' dysfunction. It was really a brilliant way of expanding the story in a way that makes sense. But, you needed the right actors for these roles. Fortunately, the film nailed the casting. I'm trying to separate Gibson's personal life (because his actions were so troubling) from his performance. His performance is incredible. He embraces the darker side of his personality to bring this character to life. He's a scoundrel, a selfish, arrogant person- but he's incredibly funny. His carefree attitude creates so many hilarious moments in this film. It was thoroughly enjoyable watching Gibson on screen. The role was directly in his wheelhouse, but he was fantastic. I loved how he interacted with the rest of the cast. Lithgow is quite good and so directly opposite to Gibson's character in so many ways. He plays the role hitting all the right notes and added a great deal to the film. I liked how Lithgow embraced this role and showed off some of his range as an actor.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are good and it was fun seeing them revisit these roles, but I have to admit they're totally overshadowed by Gibson and Lithgow. Their presence was essential and they work in the roles, but it was amazing to see Gibson and Lithgow elevate the performance of Ferrell and Wahlberg. The interactions between these four were quite fun and a major reason why this sequel was so much better than the original.

One of the downsides to this film is the story. The cast is so good, but the story just feels like an excuse for them to interact. A great cast will take you far, but it'll never take you all the way. You need a compelling story as well. That's where this film falls down. It's okay, but it's never believable enough. We aren't really interested in what happens and the events of the film are forgettable. The story doesn't stand up on its own- it just moves the characters around so they make the next joke. This movie desperately needed a better script.

There were decently funny moments throughout the film, but the movie wasn't consistently funny enough. It was fine, but too many jokes miss the bullseye. I will say that this movie is certainly funnier than the first film and it seemed slightly more rooted in reality. Those definitely help the movie.

I wish I could say that Daddy's Home 2 was a good movie, but it falls short of that mark. Still, in context, it's pretty stunning how much more I enjoyed this one than the first one. That doesn't happen often, so although this is still only a decent movie, it was a pleasant surprise all the same.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Daddy's Home, The Other Guys, Ted, Get Hard