By Leah Russell

Sports Editor

Image Source: The Yale Herald

If you are looking for a movie to watch this season, Daddy’s Home 2 is a great place to start. While it is not specifically a Christmas movie, it does take place during Christmas, making it a great movie to watch any time of the year, with a hint of festivity. And if you have a premium subscription on Hulu, or a spare $2.99 to rent the movie on Amazon Prime Video, prepare to laugh for all one hour and forty minutes of this film. 

Coming as a sequel to Daddy’s Home which was released in 2015, the movie continues to follow the lives of the blended families of Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, and Linda Cardellini. While adding some additional action through the characters of Mel Gibson and John Lithgow. And while it is not a necessity to watch this movie before the sequel, it is highly suggested.

In this movie, the grandfathers in the blended family fly down to spend Christmas with everyone. This causes a rift between the co-parents of Wahlberg and Ferrell, as things get a little testy when they disagree on parenting styles. They decide to go on a family bonding trip for the holiday and spend their Christmas, and the majority of the movie, at a cabin. From a live Nativity scene to illegal tree chopping and fights with the thermostat, things do not go exactly as planned for the family. 

The jokes in this movie are part of what makes it such a great comedy, fitting for all ages. Between the painfully predictable but still funny dad jokes of John Lithgow and the opposing genre of jokes from the “cool” granddad Mel Gibson, there is something in this movie for everyone to find funny. And of course, something for the kids is portrayed in the ups and downs of the children stuck in the middle of the familial problems.

The setting of the cabin in the middle of a wintery wonderland creates such a nice aesthetic experience while watching. The Christmas decorations put up in and around the house contribute to some funny scenes, while still giving off that holiday feel. Multiple Christmas trees, lights, and freshly fallen snow are great pieces in the set. The scenery changes often, from the family’s regular home, to an airport, to the winter cabin, and in the woods. This allows the viewer to always have a new set to focus on and breaks up otherwise long parts of the movie to keep it entertaining.

This movie, as sequels tend to do, falls a little behind in comparison to the first Daddy’s Home. However, it is still a great watch for the holiday season, and with family or friends. If you are looking for a movie to slowly jump into the holiday season, Daddy’s Home 2 is a great place to start.