Daddy's Home 2

Why the haters would even start watching this movie is a mystery to me. If you don't like Will Ferrell then just don't watch this movie because it is the same humor as in all the other movies he's been in. I love Will Ferrell and his stupid humor with his nerdy face, so to me this is a good movie. I thought it was even better then the first one. This time John Lidgow is also in the cast and that's another comedian that makes me laugh all the time. They couldn't have found a better guy to play the father of Will Ferrell. Mel Gibson as the father of Mark Whalberg was also a good match. The story might be a bit dorky but I didn't expect anything else. It's all about the silly humor, and if you're not into that, just skip this movie instead of wasting your time twice by watching it and writing a bad review about it. If you do love that kind of humor I'm sure you will have a couple of good laughs.

These days I rarely enter an IMDb review. And when I have in the past it has usually been to offer an under-represented opinion. Here goes:

I suspect that some critics are triggered by bits that appear in trailers for the film, like the running joke that Will Ferrell kisses his father John Lithgow as Mel makes wry commentary on it. What someone today might call "gay panic" or "homophobia" is actually better described as CULTURE SHOCK, a term without so much judgment. It is all part of a character arc and effectively underscores the difference in parenting styles at the heart of the movie's conflicts.

This movie opened on my father's birthday, which might have been a good time to see it (or a terrible weepy time) but I had to work. I finally saw it and had the cinema all to myself on a Friday afternoon. The movie deserves more success. It is about on par with most Christmas dysfunction movies like Christmas Vacation. Watching a few of the set-piece moments, especially where they culminate, I am flabbergasted that critics have been hostile. Rotten Tomatoes guaranteed fresh the remake of Ghostbusters and this movie gets a splat? Something is rotten besides tomatoes in the state of Denmark.

The movie skewers gun safety, drinking, and Christmas rituals --- while introducing something I've never heard of: Do people dress as characters in public Nativity scenes? Overall, I found the movie pleasant and mild. The actors are all charming, even the model girlfriend who actually does have a discrete character that isn't quite a cliché.

You can safely disregard any review by a Mel Gibson hater. Adam Carolla's co-host reported Mel saying some quite correct and positive things about the trend of holding abusers accountable, but then she couldn't resist what she called a "refresher" on Mel's past troubles. Those kinds of "refreshers" tend to leave out CONTEXT!!!! and also tend to omit the factor of alcoholism and bipolar disorder, two valid obstacles which I am pleased to see him overcome. He is quite funny in this. I hope he keeps acting (and directing).

There is a fun movie within a movie that is an interesting commentary on Hollywood taste. The movie had me laughing (albeit alone in an otherwise empty theatre) and pretty much smiling the rest of the time. I found it to be a notch better and funnier than the original. Will and Mark are a bit more grounded here. The one scene that didn't work for me as physical comedy was a snow blower catching a string of Christmas lights and pulling it dangerously around, only because it reminded me of a cable snapping in the Piranha remake and slicing someone. The possibility of serious injury was prolonged a few seconds too much. But most of the movie is about little mundane moments and conflicts people can rise above. The ending is Christmas Movie cheesy and that is okay with me.

I really enjoyed this sequel. I thought the extra cast members were really a good addition, like John Cena and Mel Gibson. It was a great family movie, and very cheerful. Will Ferrell has lots of funny scenes. It almost reminded me of Grown Ups, but a little better.

Recommended!

7 stars

If you liked Daddy's Home you'll love the follow up, I have no doubts about that.

The addition of John Lithgow and Mel Gibson was inspired. The casting was spot on, and in particular the chemistry between Lithgow and Ferrell was just exceptional.

As you'd expect, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg both smashed it, showing once again that they have fantastic on screen chemistry.

The humour was great, the story was fun, and it had a lovely Christmassy vibe. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, rehashing some of the same jokes/themes from the first film, but that doesn't mean they aren't still funny and there are enough new ideas to keep things fresh.

A great laugh and a solidly entertaining film!

Daddy's Home 2 is very similar to its predecessor. If you liked the first one, you'll probably like the second. There are a ton of cheap gags and Will Ferrell gets in situations that should have left him hospitalized constantly. The introduction of Mel Gibson and John Lithgow as the grandfathers just takes the opposite dads concept to the extreme as they are even farther out versions of the Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell characters. Most of the jokes weren't worth more than a chuckle, with the exception of an extremely relatable thermostat bit. The ending was stretching the limits of believably, even for a ridiculous comedy, but all in all it was solid ideal entertainment.

Mel Gibson brought the best comedic moments, largely because he character was really playing into the Mel Gibson tough guy persona and it felt more natural than the other characters. Linda Cardellini was able to do more with her character as she was given a couple scenes alongside Alessandra Ambrosio, whose cameo was expanded into a full fledged role. Ambrosio was successfully hidden in her scenes to avoid exposing the fact that she is a model, not an actress. John Cena was also credited as returning in his cameo role as well, but I never saw him, though the other characters acted as though he was there.