KIIS Reviews: Daddy’s Home 2

Reviewed by KIIS Entertainment Reporter, John Caldwell.

If you enjoyed Daddy’s home and thought there was nowhere left to take this story line, boy were you wrong!

Likewise, if you thought a sequel might not be as funny and may be trying too hard, wrong again!

In fact this is quicker and funnier, and the chemistry between the actors shines through even more than it did in the first film.

You may recall in Daddy’s Home Mark Wahlberg played a divorced macho man whose tough love approach to parenting coupled with very little interest in discipline proved a nightmare for his ex-wife and her new beau - the children’s stepfather Brad, played by Will Ferrell. In this latest film the pair have worked out all of their difficulties and are successfully co-parenting.

Astonishingly, Dusty has completely turned over a new leaf as a sensitive and caring co-parent, with Brad and his ex-wife even working at the school and baking treats. Seemingly they are now the perfect extended family working like a well-oiled machine, and Brad and Dusty are best friends.

This could have made for a boring story line but with impeccable casting came the introduction of the pair’s fathers, played by Melb Gibson and Jon Lithgow.

Whilst the story line from here becomes almost repetitive to the first film, it’s the fathers who seem to assume the previous roles of the sons, changing the dynamics considerably.

Gibson perfectly plays the dishonorable, macho father who has little regard for anyone’s feelings, and its Gibson’s character at the center of the trouble and a hell of a lot of the laughs too.

Brads father Don (Lithgow) isn’t short on evoking belly laughs too. He is soft and sensitive, and loves his little boy so much that he still treats him like he’s 5, including the odd kiss on the lips.

The mismatch of these two men bring out the worst in everyone! The ensemble cast also play brilliant parts and add to the fun, even as subtly as the introduction of Alessandra Ambrosia as Wahlberg’s kleptomaniac love interest.

Then there’s John Cena who shoulders on the screen also.

The bulk of the fun and drama unfolds on a family holiday, the likes we haven’t seen since the Griswold’s but with way more laughs and stupidity adapted to the modern day. Political themes run hot as an undertone as well with opposing views making for greater comedy. Now there is one drawback to this movie.

Whilst it looks like a cute and family friendly Christmas film, the humor is a little PG and sometimes a bit cras.

Other than that I think this is the perfect Christmas holiday film to make you forget about the pressures of Christmas and to just have a damn good belly laugh.

Also as cliché as it is and warning *SPOILER ALERT* it does eventually leaving you warm and fuzzy and ready to show some Christmas spirit to everyone and anyone!

3 thumbs up