If you’re looking for a bit of laugh-out-loud comedy then you’ve come to the right place with Daddy’s Home 2. I was a huge fan of the original film and was more than excited for the sequel. Returning director Sean Anders certainly knows how to push the buttons of Wahlberg and Ferrell, and he’s taken both of them in a terrific direction with the film’s sequel. Part of what makes a sequel great in my opinion is that characters grow, and this is especially true of Dusty and Brad. Wahlberg’s Dusty is a lot more laid-back this time around, and Brad is ever-so-slightly more masculine (but only a little).

But all of this changes when their own Dad’s arrive.

While Wahlberg might have been in peak alpha male form in Daddy’s Home, he’s got nothing on Mel Gibson’s Kurt Mayron. This former astronaut and all-around womaniser is a grad-A prick and really socks it to his adult son for plenty of laughs. Old Mel doesn’t take to fondly to his son’s ‘co-Dad; lifestyle and throws plenty of shade at Wahlberg.

Then there’s John Lithgow as Brad’s dad Don Whittaker. If you’re looking for a snowflake, well you’ve found it with Don. This big’ol softee is a bit of a nincompoop, and well he brings out Brad’s more pathetic attributes as a result. Lithgow really lets loose with Don and his cringe-worthy behaviour, which includes full-lip kissing with his adult son, and you’ll find yourself crying with laughter.

Did I mention that Daddy’s Home 2 is packed out with comedy? Yep. There’s plenty of it, and without giving anything away I have to mention that Ferrell and Lithgow lead the way. Some of my favourite moments include Lithgow’s ‘wolf experience’ and Ferrell’s Christmas tree shopping. Trust me, you’ll howl with laughter. And while inevitable jealousies arise, it’s not just the daddy’s who are taking part this time. That’s right Linda Cardellini and Alessandra Ambrosio wage their own step-parent war, and their constant bickering it pretty hilarious to watch.

I also have to mention John Cena, who is Dusty’s mortal enemy Roger, and who continues to showcase his wild comedy talent. Again not giving too much away let’s just say Cena has real range and he can definitely carry a note.

Sometimes with a film, you just need something simple and completely over-the-top. Well, that’s exactly what Daddy’s Home 2 does and the holiday season will be a whole lot funnier for it.

Image: Paramount Pictures 

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After breaking out one of their own, Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the Expendables undertake a contract to capture a notorious arms smuggler. The only catch is that the arms smuggler in question turns out to be Barney’s former teammate and co-founder of The Expendables, Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), a man who Barney had to put down after he went rogue. But Stonebanks survived, and has made it his mission to destroy the team he once called his own. The story really kicks off when one of Barney’s friends is caught in the crossfire, forcing him to recruit a younger generation of Expendables to help fill out the ranks for what will be all-out war.

Sylvester Stallone once again returns as writer and star of the lucrative franchise, and this time he’s enlisted the help of Australian director Patrick Hughes. The talented director has made sure to fill the screen with enough hard-hitting action and stoic one liners to knock the audience back into their seats.

While the team’s core troops, including Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) all return, Barney is gathering some old faces and new talent. First off, there’s Wesley Snipes as the slightly unhinged knife master Doctor Death. A former medic, and one of the original Expendables, Death has a few screws loose, but is an adapt soldier who is more than capable in a firefight and can hold his own when it comes to unarmed combat, as well as giving the Expendables resident blade master, Statham’s Lee Christmas, a run for his money. Snipes jumps into this role, and instantly steals the first fifteen minutes of the movie for himself. He brings a crazed personality to Death, as well as some much needed soulful flair.

Joining Snipes is Antonio Banderas as the acrobatically gifted Galgo. A former member of the Spanish Armed Forces and Bosnian War veteran, Galgo is desperate for a chance to prove himself and recapture his masculinity and warrior spirit once more. While Galgo produces a hell of a lot of laughs out of his desperation to experience combat again, he also carries a sense of sorrow (like all the Expendables do) from the harsh realities of war. Banderas has an absolute ball as Galgo, and is equally impressive with both his comedic and dramatic timing. He also brings this wildcard sense of energy, and passion to his fight scenes, holding his own, while also plying his irresistible charm. He’s a great addition to the Expendables roster.

But it’s not just the old dogs who are along for the ride this time, as the Expendables are getting some new blood. Kellan Lutz leads the pack as washed up former Marine John Smilee, who finds a sense of purpose and a role model in Barney, while also showing off some impressive motocross skills as he inflicts some serious damage to the bad guys. However, Barney isn’t just leaving it to the boys this time, introducing Rhonda Rousey’s Luna – a tough chick if we ever saw one. She definitely is the breakout star of this piece, and being a UFC World Champion has some serious ass kicking skills to boot. Rousey also proves that she’s got the acting chops and presence to be a major star. Additionally, The Expendables get a tech infusion thanks to Glen Powell’s thrillseeking, daredevil super hacker Thorn, as well as some badass new toys courtesy of Victor Ortiz’s high tech weapons specialist, Mars.

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as Barney’s resident frenemy Trench Mauser, who once again picks up an assortment of high-powered machine guns to terminate everything in sight. Kelsey Grammer gets in on the action as retired mercenary and ‘talent scout’ Bonaparte, throwing plenty of comedy in Barney’s direction, while legendary actor Harrison Ford show’s up as C.I.A case officer and authority figure Max Drummer, who isn’t content to just give orders, storming out into the field behind the controls of a helicopter gunship.

But the biggest part of the whole movie comes in the form of chief villain Conrad Stonebanks, played by an absolutely pumped and very scary Mel Gibson. While Eric Roberts and Jean Claude Van Damme antagonised Barney and the boys in the first two installments of the series, Mel Gibson is the arch villain that The Expendables deserve. Stonebanks has a serious problem with Barney, and Gibson perfectly channels his hatred for his former teammate. What works is that Stonebanks is portrayed as the somewhat twisted mirror image of what Barney could have become had he strayed from the path, and their mano a mano, no holds barred final confrontation is absolutely brutal.

The Expendables 3 certainly isn’t short of action, and there’s some pretty impressive set pieces. While the new kids on the block get more attention than I had anticipated, the old dogs certainly learn a thing or two from them, and when these two generations of Expendables finally team up together the results are explosive. The Expendables are back, locked, loaded and ready for action. Boom Lay Boom.

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