Daddy's Home 2

This review may contain spoilers!

This may not be the best comedy film of the year, but it certainly is just as fun as the first film. I would give Daddy's Home 2 a 6/10.

This is a comedic slapstick film that knows how to construct really meaningful, entertaining moments throughout; often there'd be a big bit that sets up for a punchline quite well and certainly goes for impact each and every time. There are also some really nice heartwarming and emotional scenes between Dusty and his father, Kurt, as well as Brad and his father, Don. These father and son relationships are constructed to lend themselves to some impactful scenes come the second and third acts, and these come to fruition in rather meaningful and funny ways. The soundtrack for the film is a very nice balance between well-selected Christmas tunes and well-known tracks used to comedic effect, with 'Do They Know It's Christmas' performed by the cast making for an incredibly hilarious end.

Will Ferrell, who played Brad, really does the bumbling naive role quite well; his rather pointed moments of awkward humour, such as giving his stepson romantic advice makes for some brilliant scenes. Mark Wahlberg, who played Dusty, has a very tough driving force throughout the film; I really enjoy how Wahlberg leads the narrative, often creating or concluding some of the major conflicts within the feature. John Lithgow, who played Don, really does feel like the good-natured rambling grandfather; Lithgow really comes into his own when he has to confess his divorce to Ferrell in what becomes quite an emotionally charged scene. John Cena, who played Roger, has some walls up towards certain characters and generates conflict from the moment he appears onscreen; yet Cena does a great job of dropping these barriers and revealing his role to be a lot more compassionate than first thought. Chesley Sullenberger, who played Brad's Stepdad, is quite a funny cameo to conclude the film upon; the presence of Sullenberger contrasts really nicely with the Ferrell/Lithgow relationship seen throughout the film. Liam Neeson, who voiced himself, is another cameo that adds significant comedic effect to the film; Neeson really plays up quite an exaggerated Christmas action hero speech which makes his scene one to remember.

However, the best performance came from Mel Gibson, who played Kurt. This was a role that I was both excited for and hesitant about; I didn't expect a comedic feature from Gibson so that was interesting, yet it was clear the role would be Gibson playing a facsimile of himself. Yet it's precisely this sort of character the film thrives upon, seeing Gibson laugh and be entertained within scenes goes a long way to enjoying them as an audience member. The crude, lowbrow humour that comes from this role is a fun contrast to the other characters and lends itself to some interesting interactions between Gibson and the child performers. What really works for the film, however, is the rocky relationship between Gibson and Wahlberg's roles. The divide between these two, which progresses through conflict, confession, reconciliation and a fun moment which mirrors Ferrell and Lithgow, makes for one of the best plot arcs of the feature.

While this film has some funny moments and some nice emotional payoff, there isn't much when it comes to one cohesive main plot. Ultimately this is a film which feels like a collection of subplots, sewn together by comedic skits or moments of slapstick. The film bears great semblance to the original Daddy's Home also, going so far as to repeat key plot moments and repeat jokes in quite an obvious manner. The comedy used throughout the film is good for the most part yet takes some risks which really don't pay off; comedy around gun laws and incest really falls flat and tends towards the uncomfortable. The cinematography is flat out boring, with the camera work feeling set up when you watch it and many of the young extras looking right into shot. The editing used throughout the film mirrors the lack of direction evidenced in the cinematography, resulting in a sluggish sense of pacing.

Linda Cardellini, who played Sara, tries really hard to put herself out there more but is ultimately wasted as the female protagonist; her role's desperate attempts at attention grow annoying, particularly as her scenes are painted as minor filler. Alessandra Ambrosio, who played Karen, doesn't have much of an onscreen presence and seems comfortable in the background; Ambrosio's role isn't really painted as likeable and this is never resolved in a satisfying way. Owen Vaccaro, who played Dylan, is annoying and doesn't deserve the attention this film gives him; the ultimate romance subplot around him grows quite uncomfortable, partly due to Vaccaro's performance. Scarlett Estevez, who played Megan, becomes quite random and wild for the sake of it in this film; Estevez becomes a character used to fill in space and makes for simple comedic relief. Didi Costine, who played Adrianna, is quite a generic character; the entitled brat role really makes Costine one of the most boring young performers to watch. Yamilah Saravong, who played Casey, isn't really given much more to do other than be a red herring love interest; Saravong's role has probably some of the least significance to the film.