Close on the heels of Bad Moms 2 comes another mirthless Christmas-themed comedy.
Daddy’s Home 2 is as creatively bankrupt as the 2015 original. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are put to the test again when their respective fathers (John Lithgow-Mel Gibson) drop by for the holidays.
Cartoonish hijinks ensue as the grandparents stir up past resentments between their sons and thwart their plans for a peaceful family reunion.
Brimming with crude sexual humour and unwarranted manhandling, DH2 winds down in a feel-good reconciliation that feels forced and fake. Alarmingly, even children are subjected to all manner of unpleasantness.
It is difficult to fathom what prompted the A-grade ensemble to accept such demeaning roles. One hopes they were at least handsomely compensated.