The Citizen (KZN)

Double the dads for Xmas

Comic tale of the joys and horrors of having a father. MACHO AND MUSHY PERSONALIT­IES OF TWO GENERATION­S IN CONFLICT

- Kgosi Modisane

Hiding their real feelings for each other, co-dads Dusty and Brad, who are played by award-winning actors Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, are forced to deal with the skeletons in their closets when both their fathers join them for Christmas.

Picking up from the first movie, the sequel takes off on a high note demonstrat­ing how perfectly previous sworn enemies Dusty and Brad have buried the hatchet and are now determined to be the best dads that little Megan (Scarlett Estevez) and Dylan (Owen Vaccaro) could possibly have.

So the pair conjure up the idea of having a blended family Christmas.

Dusty’s dad, macho former astronaut and ladies’ man Kurt, who is played by Mel Gibson, arrives and starts stirring up trouble between them.

He mocks the “unmanly” relationsh­ip between Dusty and Brad, hiding his own insecuriti­es about not having been the best dad to Dusty.

Then, perfect dad and friend to son Brad, Don, played by John Lithgow, turns up.

He’s even more of a softy than Brad, the kind of dad who affectiona­tely kisses his adult son on the lips or hugs a problem away.

His marriage is in the process of falling apart, so his wife isn’t with him.

Dusty, who is focusing on being the best dad to Megan and Dylan, forgets that he is also Adrianna’s step-dad and she never misses an opportunit­y to remind him that he isn’t her real father.

However, the co-dads’ efforts seem too far-fetched when they experience a bitter-sweet moment of humiliatio­n during Megan’s Christmas school play.

Although the ending seemed a bit of a cliche, it wouldn’t be a perfect Christmas story without some cheer and merriment and besides, even stepdads deserve to be loved and appreciate­d.

The family dynamics were so easy to relate to and make for many a good laugh.

 ?? Pictures: Paramount ?? FUN WITH FOUR DADS. Mel Gibson plays Kurt, Mark Wahlberg is Dusty, Will Ferrell is Brad and John Lithgow is Don in Daddy’s Home 2.
Pictures: Paramount FUN WITH FOUR DADS. Mel Gibson plays Kurt, Mark Wahlberg is Dusty, Will Ferrell is Brad and John Lithgow is Don in Daddy’s Home 2.

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