Search
Search results
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Daddy's Home (2015) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
A Lesson in beige comedy
We did it! After managing to get through the record-breaking year that was 2015, things in the film world shifted down a gear for 2016, well, for a month or so.
As we begin another promising year in the world of the silver screen, one of the first movies to garner the public’s attention is Daddy’s Home, but can this comedy with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell hold its own with the heavyweights in the genre?
Daddy’s Home has a simple premise, stepfather Brad (Ferrell) who lives and breathes for the adoration of his stepchildren feels threatened when their hunky, off-the-wall dad Dusty (Wahlberg) comes into town. That’s literally the plot, and this becomes the film’s major stumbling block.
Decent comedy films are ten-a-penny these days and over the last few years, director Paul Feig has charmed audiences across the globe with Bridesmaids, The Heat and the rib-achingly funny Spy. He is simply the guy everyone wants for comedy as every script that has his name attached turns to gold.
Daddy’s Home unfortunately lacks a cohesive and witty plot, instead opting for clichéd laughs that work the first few times, but fall flat afterwards. That’s not to say there isn’t anything clever here, in fact there is, but it’s in short supply.
The two lead actors are, as usual, dependable with Wahlberg being particularly memorable, not least because he spends the majority of the 96 minute running time with his shirt off, and Ferrell is a veteran in this genre, but the characters lack any real depth, and the obligatory moments were director Sean Anders wants us to feel something for the pair simply evaporate into thin air.
Elsewhere, Linda Cardellini provides a surprisingly phoned-in performance as Dusty’s ex-wife, Sara, with her two children, Megan and Dylan, played by Scarlett Estevez and Owen Vaccaro faring much better. Estevez in particular is a promising young actress.
Despite these glaring omissions, a brilliant sequence shot in a fertility clinic garners laughs from start to finish and Thomas Haden Church’s turn as Ferrell’s boss is a real joy to watch with some of the film’s best lines.
It just all lacks a little touch of Feig. There’s none of the satirical humour mixed with belly laughs that audiences come to expect in 21st Century comedy and it’s a real shame the two lead stars, heavily marketed as facing off against each other, don’t get to do more and go that bit further.
Overall, Daddy’s Home is a perfectly pleasant start to 2016. It’s no-where near the standards set by Bridesmaids or Spy, but does just about enough to warrant a watch. It’s just not as funny as its credentials would have you believe.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/01/10/a-lesson-in-beige-comedy-daddys-home-review/
As we begin another promising year in the world of the silver screen, one of the first movies to garner the public’s attention is Daddy’s Home, but can this comedy with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell hold its own with the heavyweights in the genre?
Daddy’s Home has a simple premise, stepfather Brad (Ferrell) who lives and breathes for the adoration of his stepchildren feels threatened when their hunky, off-the-wall dad Dusty (Wahlberg) comes into town. That’s literally the plot, and this becomes the film’s major stumbling block.
Decent comedy films are ten-a-penny these days and over the last few years, director Paul Feig has charmed audiences across the globe with Bridesmaids, The Heat and the rib-achingly funny Spy. He is simply the guy everyone wants for comedy as every script that has his name attached turns to gold.
Daddy’s Home unfortunately lacks a cohesive and witty plot, instead opting for clichéd laughs that work the first few times, but fall flat afterwards. That’s not to say there isn’t anything clever here, in fact there is, but it’s in short supply.
The two lead actors are, as usual, dependable with Wahlberg being particularly memorable, not least because he spends the majority of the 96 minute running time with his shirt off, and Ferrell is a veteran in this genre, but the characters lack any real depth, and the obligatory moments were director Sean Anders wants us to feel something for the pair simply evaporate into thin air.
Elsewhere, Linda Cardellini provides a surprisingly phoned-in performance as Dusty’s ex-wife, Sara, with her two children, Megan and Dylan, played by Scarlett Estevez and Owen Vaccaro faring much better. Estevez in particular is a promising young actress.
Despite these glaring omissions, a brilliant sequence shot in a fertility clinic garners laughs from start to finish and Thomas Haden Church’s turn as Ferrell’s boss is a real joy to watch with some of the film’s best lines.
It just all lacks a little touch of Feig. There’s none of the satirical humour mixed with belly laughs that audiences come to expect in 21st Century comedy and it’s a real shame the two lead stars, heavily marketed as facing off against each other, don’t get to do more and go that bit further.
Overall, Daddy’s Home is a perfectly pleasant start to 2016. It’s no-where near the standards set by Bridesmaids or Spy, but does just about enough to warrant a watch. It’s just not as funny as its credentials would have you believe.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/01/10/a-lesson-in-beige-comedy-daddys-home-review/
Fun & engaging read
Allison and her family move to New York City from Dallas for her husband, Michael's, job. At first, Allison is excited--ready for the glitz and glamour of the city. Instead, she finds herself and her family (including her three children) living in a cramped small apartment within a high-rise building. She has no friends and no one to confide in and shortly after moving, she loses her job. Things go from bad to worse when she hits an empty parked car outside her son Jack's school--right in front of the judgemental eyes of all the other mothers. The note Allison leaves leads her to a fancy penthouse, which she finds occupied by young pop star, Carter Reid. Allison doesn't see Carter as a pop star, however: she sees an abandoned kid, friendless, without parents, and about to ruin his career by backing out of the Broadway musical in which he agreed to star. Somehow, Allison becomes involved in Carter's life and as she does, she finally finds a reason to embrace New York.
This was such a fun book and such an engaging read. Now, at first, Allison is adrift in New York and in the beginning of the book, I was so frustrated with the abuse she took from Carter that I was a bit annoyed with the story. But Poeppel gets you past that pretty quick. The entire book is humorous, as it's filled with funny moments with Allison, her family, and the cast of supporting characters. Howard, a security guard Allison helps tutor, particularly shines, as does Owen, Carter's butler. Poeppel is very adept at capturing the individual voice of each of her characters. I loved Allison's kids, too. I fell for her eldest daughter, Charlotte, because I could have been her 20 years ago (geez I'm old), but teenage Megan and funny, quirky Jack were awesome too. The characters truly become like family.
Even if Allison frustrated me at times, with her coddling of Carter, I certainly found her relatable. The fact that she wasn't a morning person, her love for her children yet inability to always know what was happening in their lives, and her closeness with her own mom. She comes across as a real person, and I was incredibly impressed at how well she handled Carter and the celebrity world. The theme of family runs across the book--not just Allison's family, but how the disparate characters in the novel become their own family, and you really find yourself rooting for Carter because of it.
And, indeed, the magic of the book is how it transforms Carter. In the beginning, I couldn't believe anyone would like this kid, but as you read on... well, let's just say you will be rooting for Carter Reid. Poeppel captures Carter so precisely--his mannerisms, his dialect, his voice--it's amazing. It's easy to picture him, and he grows on you, for sure. By the end of the novel, you may feel a little misty. Sure, it's sometimes easy to see where things may be going, but that's OK, because it is such a rather enjoyable ride to be on. Plus, you never know exactly what wrench Carter is going to throw in Allison's carefully laid plans.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It started off a little slow, and I was initially frustrated with Carter's behavior (and Allison's acceptance of it). However, the book then takes off, and I was quickly immersed in the well-written characters and the arc of the story. It's such a fun book in so many ways--and touching too--plus there's a celebrity aspect that gives it an enjoyable twist, and you often feel like you're in NYC on a Broadway set. Definitely an enjoyable read.
This was such a fun book and such an engaging read. Now, at first, Allison is adrift in New York and in the beginning of the book, I was so frustrated with the abuse she took from Carter that I was a bit annoyed with the story. But Poeppel gets you past that pretty quick. The entire book is humorous, as it's filled with funny moments with Allison, her family, and the cast of supporting characters. Howard, a security guard Allison helps tutor, particularly shines, as does Owen, Carter's butler. Poeppel is very adept at capturing the individual voice of each of her characters. I loved Allison's kids, too. I fell for her eldest daughter, Charlotte, because I could have been her 20 years ago (geez I'm old), but teenage Megan and funny, quirky Jack were awesome too. The characters truly become like family.
Even if Allison frustrated me at times, with her coddling of Carter, I certainly found her relatable. The fact that she wasn't a morning person, her love for her children yet inability to always know what was happening in their lives, and her closeness with her own mom. She comes across as a real person, and I was incredibly impressed at how well she handled Carter and the celebrity world. The theme of family runs across the book--not just Allison's family, but how the disparate characters in the novel become their own family, and you really find yourself rooting for Carter because of it.
And, indeed, the magic of the book is how it transforms Carter. In the beginning, I couldn't believe anyone would like this kid, but as you read on... well, let's just say you will be rooting for Carter Reid. Poeppel captures Carter so precisely--his mannerisms, his dialect, his voice--it's amazing. It's easy to picture him, and he grows on you, for sure. By the end of the novel, you may feel a little misty. Sure, it's sometimes easy to see where things may be going, but that's OK, because it is such a rather enjoyable ride to be on. Plus, you never know exactly what wrench Carter is going to throw in Allison's carefully laid plans.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It started off a little slow, and I was initially frustrated with Carter's behavior (and Allison's acceptance of it). However, the book then takes off, and I was quickly immersed in the well-written characters and the arc of the story. It's such a fun book in so many ways--and touching too--plus there's a celebrity aspect that gives it an enjoyable twist, and you often feel like you're in NYC on a Broadway set. Definitely an enjoyable read.