THERE are certain films that critics just hate. Very often comedies, silly inane ones at that, but frequently the same movies that are loved by audiences. So who’s right?
Case in point is one of our favourite pictures, ‘Ace Ventura – When Nature Calls’, panned by pundits but loved by filmgoers worldwide.
It’s incredibly silly, doesn’t have much of a story, no great acting performances, but hey, it’s funny! Another film likely to fall into this category is ‘Daddy’s Home 2’.
The sequel to the 2015 box office hit, ‘Daddy’s Home’, this new instalment tells the tale of father and stepfather Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Ferrell) who join forces to try and give their children a perfect Christmas.
Their newfound partnership soon gets put to the test when Dusty's macho dad (Mel Gibson) and Brad's gentle father (John Lithgow) arrive to turn the holiday upside down, as all four head off with their families on a seasonal vacation.
The quartet of stars were in Dublin recently for Paramount’s premiere and appeared to turn up on every chat show and radio programme to promote their project.
Such over the top publicity appears to work as the four, especially Ferrell and Wahlberg, have obvious off-screen chemistry.
In terms of what to review, there is no story here, the acting won’t win any awards, and anyone with a basic grasp of camerawork could probably have directed.
But Farrell can wring humour out of the driest line, and there are some funny scenes that provide laughs for his co-stars as well. Gibson is at home playing the unpolitically correct dad, a role he hopefully won’t be tied to because of his questionable personal antics, and Lithgow’s character provides the perfect counterpoint with his squeaky clean attitude.
The film really kicks into high gear once the action hits the snowy slopes and scenes involving Christmas lights, an out of control child and a thermostat, prove especially amusing, as does the musical ending. In cinematic terms, this is as silly as it gets, but keep your expectations low and enjoy it for what it is, amusing escapism. We score it a decent 3 out of 5 stars.
Paul O’Rourke
