Film Review: ‘Daddy’s Home 2’ Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Jon Lithgow, Mel Gibson

2015’s “Daddy’s Home” was a quiet hit. The film took in $250 million, as Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell showed once again that they have great comedic chemistry together. The pair starred together in “The Other Guys,” another money maker.

It was inevitable that a film that grossed $250 million wouldn’t garner a sequel, especially in today’s Hollywood. So, we get “Daddy’s Home 2.”

Before you dismiss this film as just another cash grab, like I did, you may want to give it a watch, as the film isn’t just Ferrell and Wahlberg a second time around. This time, Jon Lithgow and Mel Gibson are the fathers of Ferrell and Wahlberg. The addition of Lithgow and Gibson, along with the return of John Cena, who had a bit role at the end of the first film, make “Daddy’s Home 2,” quite enjoyable.

This time, Wahlberg’s character Dusty and Ferrell’s character Brad decide to keep the family together on Christmas. Like most split families, the children don’t enjoy spending the holidays apart, so Brad and Dusty come to the rescue and decide to have one big “together Christmas” with all the parents and stepparents in one house.

Lithgow and Gibson arrive as last minute Christmas guests, upping the comedic-fun even more.

Gibson’s character, Kurt, is your classic smart-ass, over-sarcastic jock. Kurt is a former astronaut who warms up to his grandkids with dead hooker jokes. Meanwhile, Don, played masterfully by Lithgow, is a hugger and a kisser. Don cracks lame jokes and carries around cookies in his pocket.

If Ferrell and Wahlberg weren’t enough to get you to see the film, Gibson and Lithgow should seal the deal. The pair are comedic gold. Gibson’s male-bravo persona probably isn’t far off from his real personality, while Lithgow shows his acting chops. Not many can go from playing Winston Churchill to playing a sweet, lovable father who will plant a big wet kiss on another actor.

John Cena, who made an appearance at the end of the first film as the musclebound father Randy, returns for the sequel as well. While Wahlberg’s character is the strong, bad ass dad, Cena’s character is an even bigger bad ass, yet still funny and quite likable. Cena is starting to get a lot of notice in Hollywood, as he has a number of projects in the works. Could he be the next Dwayne Johnson? Only time will tell with that one.

Without spoiling anything, there were a few scenes in the movie where the entire audience was in hysterics. One particular favorite that brought back childhood memories was a scene where the dad’s argue about who touched the thermostat. Due to the memories that scene brought back, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Children of split homes will probably relate to some of the wackiness the kids get into during the film.

While “Daddy’s Home 2” isn’t anything groundbreaking, it is quite fun and enjoyable. While Wahlberg and Ferrell tend to push the R-rated line with their humor in some films, “Daddy’s Home 2” is more of a family affair. With a film centered around Christmas, it’s sure to be as big, if not a bigger hit than the first “Daddy’s Home,” which begs the question, Will we see a part 3? Also, while Cena made a surprise appearance at the end of the first film, make sure to stick around until the end of the sequel for another surprise.

“Daddy’s Home 2” may be another unnecessary sequel, but with such a strong cast of characters, this film may be an early Christmas present for fans of Ferrell, Wahlberg, Gibson and Lithgow.

“Daddy’s Home 2” gets a B+.