Daddy’s Home 2

After the great success of Daddy’s Home, Will Ferrell and Mark Whalberg team up again to deliver a comedy that will make children and parents laugh for 100 minutes straight. It’s always tough to find the right balance between staying original and repeating the successful formula of the first film, and this sequel delivers on that front.

In Daddy’s Home 2 the visiting dads are two, Whalberg’s and Ferrell’s: the insensitive and unloving alpha male portrayed by Mel Gibson, and the corny, melodramatic grandpa interpreted by John Lithgow. The co-dads will take their families to a ski lodge to spend a “together Christmas”. It goes without saying that things go terribly wrong, with an incessant series of incidents, fights and incredibly hilarious situations. While the script is not as good as the 2015 film – and the absence of Thomas Haden Church is deeply felt – Daddy’s Home 2 is insanely fun and it packs even more gags. Gibson and Lithgow allow for a further level of parenting issues to deal with, bringing into the equation new themes for the grownup audience. However, the boosted Christmas spirt and elements make it even more accessible for children too, who can now laugh about grandpas as well.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg proved once again to be an explosive comedic duo; the contrast between their opposite personalities – Ferrell’s naivety and Wahlberg’s bluntness – combined with the way they address the problems between their own parents, their wives (Linda Cardellini, Alessandra Ambrosio) and their children, gets remarkably comical.

Sean Anders’s picture might not replicate the success of Daddy’s Home (it was released a bit early for a Christmas film) but it will become a new festive classic for the fans of this comedy style.

Filippo L’Astorina, the Editor

Daddy’s Home 2 is released nationwide on 22^nd November 2017.