There are some funny moments, like the whole thermostat scene is pretty good and, umm, that's all that I can really remember that actually got a laugh out of me. It's just that they didn't really put in the effort to create memorable characters, jokes or a coherent enough story to tie all of this nonsense together. I feel that, maybe deep, deep, VERY DEEP down, there's probably a solid little movie here. I feel like maybe the rating of 2 stars might be seen as a little too generous by some, but I didn't actually hate my time with the movie. As far as what I saw on-screen, however, I never felt this was quite as bad as Hot Tub Time Machine 2 was with its incredibly scattershot, skit-heavy approach, but it's not like this is much better. I guess you could make that argument, but there's no real structure or cohesion to any of what you're seeing on screen. It tries to give off the vibe that it's all working to push towards Brad and Dusty hating each other again and disintegrating what they have built together. Characters are just doing random stuff for no real reason just to fill out time. There's also some stuff involving Dusty's wife always writing in her notepad, Sara not wanting to be the obedient wife, Dusty's son having a crush on his stepsister, Dusty's stepdaughter not respecting him, walking all over him and I forget what else. Brad and Jonah share everything together and Brad sees these lies as some sort of betrayal. Jonah, Brad's father, is also battling with a secret that comes to be that he's divorced Brad's mom and he hasn't told him yet. I guess you could say the main 'thread' is that of Kurt, Dusty's father, stirring shit up between Brad and Dusty and questioning their decision to be co-dads and how Kurt doesn't approve of what he's doing. The film doesn't really follow any sort of actual narrative, it's just a series of little subplots that come together, just barely, to form a "story". Because, again, he's proven to be an ignorant asshole in the past, so it's a believable role for him to play. I detest Gibson for what he's said in the past and, if he never got hired to act in or direct a film again, I wouldn't really mind or bat an eye, but he is a good enough actor and he does well in this type of role. At the very least, they chose someone you could believe would embody those ideals in Mel Gibson. And Dusty's dad is the typical and outdated macho ignoramus. Brad's dad is exactly as you would expect, a caring, sensitive man. Brad and Dusty's dad come to visit to spend time with their sons and grandchildren. Because, instead of it being just two dads at war with each other, as it was in the original, now you have MORE dads. It's just a continuation of the first movie in the worst possible way. The thing about this movie is that there's no real inspiration behind it. So, of course, this is the sequel we get. I don't think this 'franchise' is the best showcase for Mark and Will's chemistry. A script that highlights their strengths and hides their weaknesses. But I think that chemistry is a little more present when they're allowed to be a little more off the cuff or, at the very least, have a strong script to work with. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have proven comedic chemistry and that much is painfully obvious. It was decent enough, but it wasn't what I would call a good movie. Look, I'll be honest, I didn't love the first Daddy's Home. The Daddy's Home creative team, however, doesn't seem to be as discerning and they're clearly going after the almighty dollar with this sequel. But I'd still like to see those two characters come back in some form or fashion. Though, if I'm being fair, while I enjoyed The Other Guys, it's by no means a classic. I suppose it's the fact that, maybe, the creative team behind that movie, mainly McKay and Ferrell, probably felt that they already accomplished their goals with the first movie and their parodying of action movie tropes and, maybe, they didn't wanna tarnish that movie's 'legacy'. I fail to understand how Daddy's Home got a sequel first than The Other Guys, honestly. I'm starting this review mere seconds after finishing and posting my Invasion of the Body Snatchers review on the sites that I frequent, so I may be running on fumes here.
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