I am a fan of Mark Wahlberg; I have seen many of his movies and liked all of them except the dreadful Pain and Gain. The trailer of “Daddy’s home” made me laugh, which rarely happens. So, I went to see the movie with a friend of mine.
The story is about an incredibly naive, insecure guy who has married a woman with two children from her previous husband and is desperate for their acceptance. Because, as he says, being a father is different from being a dad. Eh, ok… The movie starts with one of the two children drawing Brad with poop on his hair. In fact, as she clarified, the poop of a homeless person. That was not a great way to start a comedy. Things get interesting when Sara’s former husband, Dusty, played by Wahlberg, decides to return home and earn his wife back. Dusty is super cool, very skilled, perfectly fit and incredibly charismatic. In addition, his kids love him. So, things quickly become difficult for Brad.
The movie has several good moments, for example when Brad manages to electrocute himself while trying to show how great a skateboard athlete he is. Moreover, the script makes an intelligent satire of social behaviors and misconceptions, when Brad thinks you can learn how to live life by reading manuals or has to prove, in vain, that he is not guilty/racist. I still remember the scene when Dusty told him “you may or may not be a racist”, Brad objected by saying he wasn’t and Dusty answered “I have covered that. I said you may not be”.
I also liked the ending, when John Cena appears for a few seconds and shows there is always a more powerful opponent. Lastly, Will Ferrell plays his role well and Linda Cardellini is a nice choice for his wife, the story’s only sensible person. I should mention Thomas Haden Church too, who impersonates Brad’s weird boss.
On the other hand, the movie was not as funny as I expected, for three reasons. First, most funny jokes are in the trailer. Second, it moves from one extreme to its opposite with no balance. The relationship between Dusty and Brad is either pure antagonism or true friendship. This isn’t natural. Brad’s character isn’t natural either. A person so naive and insecure would not have such a good job and a beautiful wife who loves him. I know cinema is meant, among other things, to make people forget their worries but being fooled is different. Comedies often tell people that no matter how many weaknesses they have and how serious their problems are, things will work out in the end and they will be rewarded if they make the right choices. Well, I am sorry to spoil the illusion but the world is not that fair.
In conclusion, “Daddy’s home” is decent, although nothing special. It makes you laugh without relying on gross “jokes and my friend enjoyed it. However, I wish it was a bit more plausible and not so predictable.
Movie Information
John Morris
Sean Anders
Starring:
Linda Cardellini
Mark Wahlberg
Will Ferrell
Publisher(s):
Paramount Pictures
Genre(s):
Comedy
Article by Dimitris
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