When it comes to comedy, I prefer dark comedy to slapstick or situation comedy. With dark comedy, you generally get a decent story along with a plot. Sometimes you even get a really good story. The original Daddy's Home movie wasn't too bad as far as the genre goes. But I wouldn't have thought it good enough for a sequel. The trailers had some decent laugh lines for this movie, so I gave it a try anyway. I could have waited for this one on video.
Daddy's Home 2 is a typical sequel. Brad (Wil Ferrell) and Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) appear to have made amends. They are now "co-dads." Their detente is thrown into chaos with the arrival of their parents for Christmas. Dusty's dad, Kurt (Mel Gibson), is a man's man. He doesn't show much emotion, which he views as weakness. He taunts Dusty mercilessly. Brad's dad, Don (John Lithgow), presents a veneer of sensitivity. But he also has secrets. As the stress of the holiday season breaks down these veneers, true feelings are exposed. Feelings are bound to get hurt. But hey, it's a comedy. Everything is fair game when it comes to a laugh line.
There are some funny lines in this film. Unfortunately, it appears they all made it into the trailer. I will admit, the trailer gave us some takes that may have been Will Ferrell improv. Some of the scenes from the trailer have dialogue that is different from the actual film. So at least they didn't give everything away. This film does have a plot. It even has a twist or two. So I have to admit there is a bit of substance here. Although there is only so much of the whole step-dad thing that you can exploit for humor. But the film does a decent job of introducing new concepts to territory it has already explored in the first film. There was enough here to hold my interest.
When it comes to comedy, good casting can make a difference. I think the casting is part of what makes this film work for me. Wahlberg is a good straight man to Ferrell's goofball. How do you mirror that dynamic with the grandparents? I can think of some similar match-ups, but Gibson and Lithgow are a great combination. While you get a lot of the same dynamic, there is room for some interesting development. Owen Vacarro was decent as son Dylan, but the best performance of the children was Scarlett Estevez. I think I may have liked her best, lisp and all. Didi Costine was the other step-daughter, Adrianna. She played it straight. Linda Cardellini as mom Sara was excellent, but I wasn't all that impressed with Allesandra Ambrosio (mom Karen). John Cena also gave a cameo performance. I'm not really a fan. For the role he played, he was well cast.
Daddy's Home 2 is written for broad audiences. But it does contain some questionable material. It earned a PG-13 from the MPAA for language, adult themes and underage drinking. The themes were pretty tame. Kurt is a womanizer, so there is some suggestions about his antics. The underage drinking was part of the comedy and was done well, I thought. Overall, this film is pretty mild. I would watch it in mixed company or with young viewers (although I would not watch it again). The film has a 100 minute run time.
As comedies go, Daddy's Home 2 is what you would expect from a sequel. The film finds ways to explore new material, but it is basically comedy built around blended families. The film handles the new material well, making the film less predictable than expected. The best parts made it into the trailer. The humor misses at times. Or just feels tedious or contrived. But I laughed several times. I could have waited for this film on streaming. There was nothing to set this film apart. Decent casting, decent pacing, and okay plot for comedic purposes. 7/10.
