Movie Review: ‘Daddy’s Home,’ so help me, is actually pretty funny
Left to right: Will Ferrell plays Brad Whitaker, Mark Wahlberg plays Dusty Mayron and Linda Cardellini plays Sara in Daddy'??s Home from Paramount Pictures and Red Granite Pictures.
Will Ferrell plays Brad (left) and Mark Wahlberg plays Dusty (right) in Daddy'??s Home from Paramount Pictures and Red Granite Pictures.
Mark Wahlberg plays Dusty Mayron (center) and Will Ferrell plays Brad Whitaker (right) in Daddy's Home from Paramount Pictures and Red Granite Pictures.
So help me, it’s actually pretty funny
Since Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell teamed up as “The Other Guys” in 2010, Hollywood has been itching to get them back together. After all, “The Other Guys” grossed over $170 million worldwide and only missed being a huge moneymaker due to its initial $100 million dollar production budget (what the heck did all of that money go to – stunts?).
Hollywood learned its lesson well, and got Wahlberg and Ferrell back together for a more relatable comedy and kept the price tag down to a mere $50 million. Even in the wake of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and other films released to coincide with awards season, “Daddy’s Home” has already made its money back.
And that’s because – God help me – it’s actually pretty funny. And they went cheap on some of the obvious CGI used in the stunts.
But the roster goes a long way here. Ferrell is nebbish stepdad Brad Whitaker and hunky Wahlberg is bad-boy, ex-husband Dusty Mayron, both opposite fan-favorite “Freaks and Geeks” alum Linda Cardellini. She plays Sara, a successful real estate agent and mother of two. Dusty is her exciting but undependable ex-husband and father of her two kids, while Brad is her boring but dependable new husband and adoring stepdad.
Casting is perfect, as Wahlberg and Ferrell play up their obvious strengths, and the script benefits from comparing and contrasting their equally obvious weaknesses.
Review continues below trailer.
Brad is a radio host at the kind of smooth jazz station you shouldn’t listen to while driving for fear it’ll put you asleep behind the wheel. But he’s a great guy who wants nothing more than to be a loving husband and devoted stepdad for Sara’s kids.
He seems to be making some progress when Sara’s ex and her kids’ biological father, Dusty, shows up. He cons his way by Brad right into their house and back into his gullible kids’ hearts, and it’s here where Ferrell and Wahlberg shine, basically playing up every stereotypical aspect of their own personas you can name.
But all was not well in the Whitaker household early on. Ferrell was originally set to play the errant biological dad, with Ed Helms set to play the steady stepfather. Once that mess was straightened out, Vince Vaughn was originally cast in the role that finally went to Wahlberg. I can’t imagine those folks in these roles now, although Helms probably could have certainly pulled off Ferrell’s role (he did something similar in “Vacation” 2015).
The trailer, as usual, does a bit of disservice to the flick. Although it certainly lets you know what you’re in for, it also undermines some of the films’ punch lines. Thankfully, most of what you’ve seen in the trailer occurs early on, which leaves a fair chunk of an already-short movie for some undiscovered comedic country.
In fact, the final third of the film may be its secret weapon. It’s far stronger than a movie of this type is expected to be, capping off the story while still delivering some decent laughs.
It’s not without its weakness though, most of which have to do with the absolute absurdity of some of the developments. It also takes a while to get past what you know from the trailer.
But the supporting cast is a correction to those missteps, with Thomas Haden Church delivering a great supporting character in Brad’s obliviously inappropriate boss Leo Holt, and Bobby Cannavale in a smaller role as equally inappropriate fertility specialist Dr. Francisco. These smaller parts are funnier than they had a right to be.
The supporting cast, along with the strong leads and the satisfying third act, elevate some typical Hollywood vehicle fare to an above-average comedy that’s worth seeing, especially if you’re Star Warred out. I’d certainly see this one again rather than the other SNL-studded paycheck called “Sisters,” but because it’s not an effect-heavy event, you could wait and see it on a smaller screen. Just stick around during the credits either way.
**1/2 stars
96 minutes
PG-13 for thematic elements, crude and suggestive material and for language.
Behind the Scenes:
Directed by: Sean Anders
Writing Credits: Brian Burns (screenplay) and Sean Anders (screenplay) & John Morris (screenplay), Brian Burns (story)
Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, Thomas Haden Church, Bobby Cannavale
And? (Trivia from IMDB)
The scene involving Will Ferrell’s character botching a half-court shot and hitting a cheerleader with a basketball was filmed during halftime of a real basketball game between the Pelicans and Lakers in New Orleans. Videos of the incident quickly popped up on video sites such as YouTube and Vine.
Tony Hawk and Mike McGill served as stunt doubles for a skateboarding scene in the film.
As told in the trailer, this is the second time Mark Wahlberg has been told to put a shirt on. It’s was first referenced when Steve Carell mentioned it in Date Night (2009).
The airport in the movie is actually the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The airport was too busy for filming, so the convention center signage was changed to make it look like an airport.
John Cena has a cameo role in this film. In the earlier film “Trainwreck,” Cena’s character makes reference to Mark Wahlberg.