Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? If you’re in the mood for slapstick comedy.
Secret ending? Audio.
Running time: 96 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Daddy’s Home” is a comedy about a stepfather, his wife and two stepchildren. When the biological father returns, he finds his place in the family unexpectedly challenged. It stars Will Ferrell (Brad Whitaker), Mark Wahlberg (Dusty Mayron), Linda Cardellini (Sara Whitaker), Scarlett Estevez (Megan Whitaker), Owen Vaccaro (Dylan Whitaker), Hannibal Buress (Griff), and Thomas Haden Church (Leo Holt). It is rated PG-13.
“Daddy’s Home” is exactly what you’d expect it to be, except it’s a lot cruder. Most of the jokes are of the lewd variety, done with a barely subtle wink-wink-nudge-nudge to get it the censorship rating it currently possesses. It has some laughs, but you’ve got to be a fan of Mark Wahlberg in arrogant swagger mode to be a fan of that sort of humour. Will Ferrell plays the same character he usually does, which oddly makes him the more appealing character between the two leads.
Highlights
Leo Holt, Brad’s boss
Leo’s scenes are necessarily only in the office, and his dialogue consists of long, ranty anecdotes that don’t actually help Brad’s situation. However, Thomas Haden Church manages to pull off the clueless but well-meaning boss and even gets you to like his character. His style of humour is the most natural of the lot, stemming from character rather than crass jokes or violent antics. As a result, his scenes are the most genuinely funny ones in the film, and really, Leo should have been in more of the film.
Sweet family moments
This being, ostensibly, a family comedy, there are some touching moments when the children bond with their fathers. It also carries some surprisingly insightful lines about the duties of fathers, and what it takes for a man to be a father. Whether it’s Brad or Dusty, you know that deep down, the two fathers care for their children, making their resultant actions a little more bearable.
Letdowns
Sara Whitaker is a statue
Sara only has one expression for all her emotions. Luckily, she has resting bitch face, so it layers her performance more nuances. But once you realise this aspect of her acting, the nuances disappear, leaving you with just a straightforward reaction to whatever’s happening in the scene.
Dusty does not get his comeuppance
The film goes to great length to make Dusty as obnoxious and unlikable as possible. He has virtually no redeeming qualities, and while he’s motivated by his children, it’s also clear that many of his actions are incredibly selfish. Yet despite his abhorrent character, all it takes is one semi-drunken bar scene to turn him into a sympathetic protagonist. It doesn’t work, and the fact that he gets a happy ending also leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Why does the antagonist not get what’s due to him?
There’s no moral to the story
Is there a lesson learnt? As a result of Dusty getting just as happy an ending, if not happier, as Brad, it means that you can be a deadbeat dad and still get the love of your children. There are no satisfying consequences for his actions, which means that in this movie universe, it doesn’t matter how responsible you are as a father. Everyone’s happy in the end. What kind of message is that?
“Daddy’s Home” tries to be a good family comedy, but sends a very twisted message as a result of trying to give everyone a good sendoff. It leaves you scratching your head, and wondering what the point of the entire movie was.
“Daddy’s Home” opens in cinemas 31 December, 2015 (Thursday).
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