Category: Review

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg may have seemed like an unlikely comedy duo back before The Other Guys was released, but it turned out to be one of the funniest films out there. So naturally I was excited going in to Daddy’s Home, wondering if they’d be as hilarious this time round. What was the verdict?

Daddy’s Home tells the story of Brad, a happily married step-dad chasing the essence of real fatherhood. Sure, he gets on – to an extent – with the kids, but at the end of the day he’s their step-dad. So when their biological father comes to town, things get interesting between the pair.

Now what I loved about The Other Guys was the amount of one liners, and the way it captured stupidity but at the same time it never felt particularly forced or unnatural. A major positive in Daddy’s Home is that the chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg is very much still there, and makes all their scenes together a shit ton more enjoyable than they would be with anyone else. Yes, there is a few good one-liners and hilarious moments in it, but you can already see where this is going.

The thing that has really pissed me off about Daddy’s Home is that although the story is a bit boring in the scheme of things, there was still a lot of potential for Ferrell and Wahlberg to have a fucking belter of a time on screen. When you watch The Other Guys, there’s scenes where the director evidently let them loose to do what they please, and those were its finest moments. Daddy’s Home fails massively by playing it safer than black at a funeral. It is clear the two leading stars were ready to give us a great time, but sadly weren’t allowed to deliver that.

Saying that, Ferrell and Wahlberg are definitely the highlights of the film. The co-stars on the other hand – here we fucking go. First of all, the kids in it were pretty annoying. They’re only kids I know, so I’m gonna leave them out of this. The mother, played by Linda Cardellini, albeit she’s attractive, frustrated me the whole way through. Her decisions and thoughts don’t really add up, and feel so forced to go along with how the writers wanted things to go between Ferrell and Wahlberg. Maybe she’s meant to be an fucking idiot and I just missed something?

Bobby Canavale, a name you may not recognise but a face you definitely would, is only their for a short time which is a shame as he is very very funny. Thomas Haden Church, who you’ll likely remember as Sandman in Spider-Man 3, shines consistently, which thankfully saves the film from a total disaster. And watch out for that John Cena cameo.

So to sum it up. Yes, Ferrell and Wahlberg are funny in this film. It’s definitely a more normal, sort of odd-ball Ferrell which is fine, and Wahlberg is great in his tough guy role. I wouldn’t complain about seeing the pair again, which will likely happen, but next time the writers need to realise that the pair are hilarious together and take advantage of that. I should of been crying with laughter, but instead I barely reached a loud laugh.

Rating: Meh

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Have you seen Daddy’s Home? Let me know in the comments or tweet @film_swot.

Cameron Frew