One thing is for sure, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have chemistry. They have proved it with The Other Guys (2010), a spoofy buddy cop movie, and they proved it again in Daddy’s Home (2015).

The latter works on the tried and tested premise (like The Other Guys) of an awkward good guy put together with a macho bad boy, which spells odd couple gold. Brad is the awkward stepdad who has to fight for his turf from the wife’s ex and the father of her children. Dusty, the real father, is a man with a heavy bike, near-chiselled body, a mysterious past and a compulsory commitment issue. Both the men and families do silly things at each other’s expense, till they come to a closure at the end.

Daddy’s Home is made to fit in the slapstick, idiotic comedy department, and it delivered just that, but it also features some surprises: the characters in these films aren’t complete morons. They have enough intelligence to see what is being played in front of them. That point alone brought an interesting quirk to the story.

The movie does get rushed towards the ending, but it recovers with a montage of the life Dusty had built around the two families – he also has his tables turned when John Cena is revealed as the father of his new wife’s daughter.

Overall, Daddy’s Home was not intelligent guffaw-inducing stuff, but it was still good enough with genuine talent and possessed sequel potential.

Daddy’s Home 2 picks up after two years, and Brad is still the awkward, loving and too-good-for-the-world kind of guy. He is chummy and happy, being co-dads with Dusty who has calmed down and tries to win the affection of his stepdaughter at every step, but the child is a cold one, with her face almost always in her smartphone. Who this girl is texting during her preteen years is beyond me.

Then comes the holiday season and the grandfathers. Don (John Lithgow), Brad’s father, doubles his son in the loving, caring and wholesomeness department. Both father and son love each other to the point where they kiss each other on the mouth. On the other hand, Kurt (Mel Gibson), Dusty’s dad is a bigger bad boy than him. Kurt is a total chauvinistic, womaniser who was barely there for Dusty so, it’s no surprise that they hardly see eye to eye.

Daddy’s Home 2 plays out generically. It does push the boundaries of a family-friendly entertainment, but entertainment it is. The movie intends to make you laugh and succeeds without being offensive – and that’s a point earned right there.

Director Sean Anders returns, and also co-writes with John Morris. The cast is wonderful with the kids Scarlett Estevez, Owen Vaccaro and Didi Costine having a lot more to do in here.

However, the female cast isn’t that lucky. Alessandra Ambrosio, who plays Karen, Dusty’s wife, has close to no dialogues. In fact, Dusty talks to his stepdaughter more than his spouse. Overall, she could have been more fleshed out, rather than simply function as a scantily clad accessory with model looks, only there to brighten the scenery. Linda Cardellini as Sara does not fare any better.

On the other hand, the male cast is thriving, with John Lithgow especially shining the most in scenes where he is forced to do improvisational comedy. Also, it goes without saying that Mel Gibson chews the screen with his erratic energy.

While watching Daddy’s Home 2, expect to have a few pointless, weightless, silly laughs without being affronted.

VERDICT
Daddy’s Home 2 plays out generically. It does push the boundaries of a family-friendly entertainment, but entertainment it is.