First and foremost, I’m slightly biased because I love movies that take place around Christmas. In this sequel, Dusty and Brad deal with having their very different fathers around their families, while spending Christmas together as one family. Dusty’s dad is rough around the edges and doesn’t show emotions or weaknesses; Meanwhile, Brad’s father is a warm and sensitive guy. This movie is hilarious and the family dynamic is interesting to watch.
The casting in this movie was great! Mark Wahlberg continues his role as Dusty and he definitely fits the role well. Will Ferrell is also perfect in his role as Brad. I didn’t expect them to have such great on screen chemistry. As actors, they work great together in these contrasting roles. The role of Dusty’s father, Kurt, is played by Mel Gibson and he is terrifyingly amazing in this role. John Lithgow plays Don, Brad’s dad and he was extremely believable. Will Ferrell and John Lithgow had awesome chemistry! These actors all excelled in their roles considering the characters are all opposites of one another. The roles of Sara, Dylan, and Megan were reprised by Linda Cardellini, Scarlett Estevez, and Owen Vaccaro and they were all good in their roles. I hope to see Linda Cardellini and Scarlett Estevez in more movies throughout the years. Despite being great in her individual role, Linda Cardellini and Will Ferrell didn’t have much chemistry and it was hard to believe they were married in the movie. There was another dynamic of Dusty’s new wife, Karen, and her daughter, Adrianna, added into this family, which was interesting but somewhat annoying. I loved the scenes where the two young girls get drunk; John Cena shows up playing Adrianna’s dad, who Dusty is extremely intimidated by; and the end scene where everyone is singing “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” This movie was a heartwarming story of a broken family trying to coexist for the sake of their kids. Overall they are successful but have some bumps along the way. I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a funny but wholesome Christmas movie.
CCPL Writers' Block 