Movie Review: ‘Daddy’s Home’ squanders talent of lead duo

MOVIE REVIEW: “DADDY’S HOME” (PG-13)

When Will Ferrell is on, he’s on (see “Anchorman“). Likewise, Mark Wahlberg is undeniably solid when given the right material (see “Three Kings”). Together, this unlikely pair have proven that they can be a ton of fun as a comical duo (see “The Other Guys”). Sadly, the lazy, obvious, and painfully dull high-concept comedy, “Daddy’s Home,” wastes the considerable talents of both actors.

In “Daddy’s Home,” sweet-natured smooth-jazz radio executive Brad Whitaker (Ferrell) strives to be the perfect new husband to Sara (Linda Cardellini). He also wants to be a loving and understanding stepfather to Sara’s children (Owen Vaccaro and Scarlett Estevez). Unfortunately, things run amok when Dusty Mayron (Wahlberg) — the charismatic and hunky biological father of Sara’s little ones — rolls into town on his badass hog and turns Brad’s life into a living hell. In the early goings, Brad rolls with the punches, but after a while, the pressure of Dusty’s arrival becomes almost too much for him to bear.

Ferrell and Wahlberg certainly have a few cute moments in this picture, but the laughs are extremely obvious, all too calculated, and incredibly scarce. What’s more, there doesn’t appear to be much of a script. It’s more of a blueprint. The proceedings are so loosey-goosy here, that “Daddy’s Home” makes “Sisters” feel like the best-written comedy of the year. For the record, that isn’t meant as a compliment to either movie.

The uninspired “Daddy’s Home” is bogged down by an unnecessary — and boring — subplot involving Dusty’s newfound handyman buddy, an out-of-place penis gag, and a series of filler scenes at Brad’s place of employment. The film works best when Dusty and Brad are simply trying to one-up each other.

Ferrell plays the straight man here, and he keeps himself in check for the majority of the movie until he’s finally permitted to let loose in an amusing Lakers game sequence. Wahlberg plays up the bad boy schtick to the hilt, and while it’s admirable that his natural likability keeps Dusty from becoming the complete asshole he might have become in the hands of a lesser actor, he isn’t particularly funny. Admittedly, Thomas Haden Church has some of the funniest moments in the picture as Brad’s advice-spewing boss.

Aside from its broad comical strokes (watch for a skateboarding mishap and an over-the-top motorcycle incident), “Daddy’s Home” also offers up a sweet side as Brad and Dusty try to work together in an effort to help little Dylan (Vaccaro) deal with a school bully. It all culminates in an amusing but brief climax at a middle school dance. Said dance is followed by a generic, sequel-ready finale in which the age-old saying, “There’s always a bigger fish,” comes to fruition.

Listen, “Daddy’s Home” is harmless enough, but I think I laughed maybe four or five times, and that’s not a good sign when you’re watching a comedy starring Will Ferrell. The ex-SNL funny man has certainly made worse movies (so has Wahlberg for that matter), but given the comical prowess of this duo in the underappreciated “The Other Guys,” the laughs should have been more plentiful then they are in “Daddy’s Home.”