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| Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg |
Many parents struggle to find their way, and if its step-parenting, then its doubly hard. The unoriginal, predictable new comedy whose very thin premise is peppered with a few solid comedic moments, provided by its lead Will Ferrell. Mild-mannered radio executive Brad (Ferrell), struggles to become a good stepfather to his wife's (Linda Cardellini) two children, but complications arise when their father, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) arrives, forcing him to compete for the affection of the kids. Directed and co-written by Sean Anders ("Horrible Bosses 2"), the modestly entertaining but tiresome "Daddy's Home" reteams Ferrell and Wahlberg after their hit "The Other Guys" and plays to their specialties: Ferrell's uptight, awkward goofball and Wahlberg's brooding tough guy; while it's not completely devoid of laughs and with a much softer edge (i.e. far less profane) than Ferrell and his producing partner Adam McKay usually provide, much of it feels like filler or a pilot for a TV show. And while I know this is a comedy, even the most civil of ex-spouses might find "Daddy's Home" a little unrealistic, not to mention it's one of those comedies where you can feel the biggest laughs coming from a mile away, maybe it's because they're all in the movie's trailers: Ferrell's wild ride on a motorcycle, his tumble down a skateboard ramp and his drunken free-for-all on a basketball court. The dueling-jealous dad premise grows very tiresome after awhile, and the lame climax in particular feels forced, in spite of the charming second pairing of Ferrell and Wahlberg, who are both game but fall short in making this one work successfully. "Daddy's Home" is hardly a surprise and Ferrell's fans may be pleased, even if they've seen it all before.
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