Daddy's Home

Another case of the best bits showing up in the trailer, this is a comedy that doesn't have much more to offer than predictable (and literal) comparisons of manhood. Since Ferrell and Wahlberg were considerably funnier foils and partners in The Other Guys, it's obvious why they'd team up for another buddy comedy. And given the set up, there was so much room for family shenanigans -- but instead the movie devolves into crass, unfunny jokes, like a recurring gag about Brad's shrunken and barren testicles. In most comedies, there's just a figurative, Freudian competition between men, but in this case, the two men actually drop their pants and submit to inspection by a reproductive endocrinologist (and, far worse, their former/current wife).

Despite the movie's many flaws, there are a few laugh-aloud scenes, particularly if you appreciate Ferrell's talent for physical comedy. There are also a couple of unexpectedly sweet moments when Brad demonstrates why it's better to show and not tell as a parent. Thomas Haden Church looks like he's having fun playing Brad's womanizing boss at a smooth jaz radio station, while Cardellini has little more to do than look pretty and warn Brad that Dusty is a master manipulator. A true family comedy this is not, and if you're looking for a better Ferrell/Wahlberg film, skip this and check out The Other Guys instead.