Thuddingly unfunny comedy
Daddy’s Home 2 (M) 99 mins DADDY’S Home saw nerdy stepdad Brad (Will Ferrell) and cool biological dad Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) vying for their shared children’s love, before bonding and establishing a heart-warming (though sadly fantastical) commitment to co-parent graciously.
This well-cast, but ill-conceived sequel sees the co-dads anticipating a joint family Christmas with their assorted wives and children, before the holidays are gate-crashed by each man’s overbearing father.
The big daddies are played by a delightful John Lithgow (a high point in an otherwise low movie) and a misogynistic, gruff and unpleasant Mel Gibson, who is neither amusing nor looks like he’s acting.
I realise it’s getting increasingly difficult to separate Hollywood actors and filmmakers from their distasteful off-camera behaviour, but Gibson’s casting – so utterly lifelike it must be an unfunny in-joke – is wasted because even though Dusty lambasts his father as deplorable, Gibson delivers no comic timing, no charm nor so much as a wink at the camera.
Wahlberg and Ferrell (so much fun in The Other Guys) do their best with a dire script, but only Ferrell keeps things afloat, albeit doing his customary wellmeaning-idiot schtick. But there is far too much dumb slapstick (who still laughs at people falling over in the snow??)
and gags about gun control, young love (of the ‘‘Just kiss her and slap her ass’’ kind) and shoplifting are the main things that fall flat.
There are a couple of amusing moments: approximately 10 seconds of a car ride with Ferrell and Lithgow on fine form; a clever gag about a Liam Neeson Christmas movie called Missile Tow; and a father-son ‘‘Girl Talk’’ which actually rings true; otherwise this is just a boring film
Only Ferrell keeps things afloat, albeit doing his customary wellmeaning-idiot schtick.
about meaningless, unlikeable people with far too much money.
Along with four terrible representations of female characterisation (a vapid mother, a monosyllabic Barbie of a girlfriend and two bratty daughters), and a mindless plot of middle-class consumerism and preoccupations, Daddy’s Home 2 is for the most part thuddingly unfunny and ultimately obnoxious. – Sarah Watt