Daddy's Home 2 mixes laughter with love

Movie Title:    Daddy's Home 2

Grade:  B

Rating: PG-13,  1 hour, 40 minutes

In a Nutshell: “We’re back with more daddies!” says Will Ferrell’s character, easily the tag-line for this movie.

It's a funny sequel that also has some touching, cheesy moments, which will put you in the Christmas spirit and inspire you to celebrate your own crazy, dysfunctional family.

A lot of movie critics really hated this, but I thought it was really entertaining for a light night at the movies.  It addresses the complicated issue of step-parenting in a lighthearted way.

Uplifting theme: 

• Divorce doesn’t end the relationship.  My parents were divorced when I was a little girl, but they continually have to associate with each other because of their children.  Instead of competing for their kids' love, parents and step-parents should be glad that there are more parents around who can love and support their children.  It's never perfect, but it's better than hating each other, which hurts the kids and puts them in a difficult situation.
• “You’re the only one who can ruin Christmas.” – Brad Whitaker (Will Ferrell)
• Family comes in all shapes and sizes.
• Love, patience and forgiveness.

Things I liked:

• The leading men were very entertaining and had great chemistry together.  They are all equally talented at comedy as they are in at drama.  Wait, have we ever seen Will Ferrell in a serious drama?
• The cabin where they stayed was awesome!  I stayed in an AirBnB home in Arizona that had the same awesome shower.
• Mark Wahlberg did a great job. There’s an interesting article that reveals Wahlberg hopes that God will forgive him for his past mistakes and movies.  While Mel Gibson plays Mark Wahlberg's dad, he is only 15 years older.  Surprising, right?
• I thought it was funny when Mel Gibson’s character demands that his grandchildren call him “El Padre.”  My dad decided he wanted his grandchildren to call him “Sir”, so now they call him “GrampSir.”  Ha ha
• The “Be a man” bowling scene was funny and touching at the same time.  I have 4 sons, so my husband gave that speech many times to our boys that Mel Gibson’s character gave to the cute Dylan (Owen Vaccaro).
• The band “Chicago” is mentioned in a funny way and you also hear their music later from Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits.  I went to one of their concerts back in the day.
• There’s a really cool copper mug that several people hold and drink out of.  I looked on Amazon to see if I could find it and I did.  It’s called Moscow Mule Hammered Copper 18 Ounce Drinking Mug, Set of 4.
• I thought the movie “Missile Tow” sounded awesome!  Ha ha  It’s the pretend movie that the families watch at a theater, featuring Liam Neeson.  Linda Cardellin’s characters says of the movie, “It has kids in it.  How dirty can it be?”  That was a big poke at the movie Daddy's Home 2 itself.  The answer?  The presence of kids definitely doesn’t mean the movie is clean or appropriate for kids to watch.
• All of the characters sing!  They don’t all have great voices, but it’s still really fun to see and hear them sing.
• John Cena has a much bigger role in this movie than he did in the first Daddy's Home.   If you’re a fan (who isn’t?), you’ll be happy to know that he voices the main character in the movie FERDINAND that arrives in movie theaters next month.  Rumor has it that the next movie in this franchise will revolve around him.
• The audience I sat with loved the surprise cameo at the end of the movie.

Things I didn’t like:

• The trailer showed lines that didn’t actually appear in the movie.
• It definitely helps to have seen the first Daddy's Home movie.  You’ll understand more jokes and the character development better.  There are references to things that happened in the first movie.
• Some of the jokes fall flat.
• Mel Gibson's character is a real jerk.  He's not really funny, but just laughs at his own jokes.  Speaking of Mel's laugh, it sounds really raspy like he has been smoking all of his life.
• It often feels like a goofy sit-com with a laugh track and carefully placed music to tell you how to feel.

Funny lines:

• “I got some gender-neutral flashcards!” –Brad Whitaker
• “The thermostat is a sacred covenant.” – Brad Whitaker   (That’s so true.  When my sisters and I were growing up, we had a constant battle with our dad about the temperature in the house.  We would dial the temperature up to the high 70's and he would knock it back down to the 60’s.
• “It looks as if he’s been chiseled out of Gibralter itself.” – Will Ferrell’s character describing Mel Gibson’s character.

Tips for parents: 

• There is a funny scene when Will Ferrell and John Lithgow play car games during a long ride to a cabin in the snow and drive everyone else nuts with their enthusiasm.  What car games do you play with your family?  Here’s a list you can use with your kids to make the time go faster in the car and be more enjoyable.  
• You see Will Ferrell’s back side in his underwear with an uncovered cheek.
• There is a lot of man-on-man kissing (father/son), as well as talk of French kissing, and a gay moment where a boy wants to kiss another boy.
• Inappropriate sexual innuendos.
• Megan (adorable Scarlett Estevez) lifts up her shirt to look like her sexy step-mom.  Later, she swears several times and shoots a gun.
• Some sexist comments.
• Two of the little girls get drunk.
• Didi Costine’s character was such a bratty little girl.  She was either on her cell phone the entire time or saying snotty things to people.  If you have a daughter, talk to her about some of those behaviors that can make a pretty girl become ugly.
• Andrea Anders has a very short part as a principal who tries to unsuccessfully convince the parents to put down their cell phones and iPads.  I laughed out loud, because it’s so true.
• Mel Gibson's character is a womanizer.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice