Over the years Will Ferrell has become sort of an “every” man. You take an every day situation, place him in it and hope that this is one that works. There are few actors that in my opinion can be so right and wrong with the choices he makes. When Ferrell is right, he gives us lines we will quote to our friends and a film that will more then likely have a cult following. When he is wrong though, it’s hard to say anything bad, because seldom does Ferrell not give his all to a role he has chosen, some are just not funny though. In 2010 Ferrell and Mark Walberg played cops. Walberg the guy you expect and Ferrell as well, that was at times funny. Now they are back together, but instead of fighting crime, this time they are fighting for the attention of two children in “Daddy’s Home”.
That last previous sentence taken out of context sounds bad, but when you put it as a Stepfather (Ferrell) and the real father (Walberg), it sounds just fine. Brad (Will Ferrel) has married Sarah (Linda Cardellini), who has two kids from a previous marriage. At first the children don’t really like Brad, but being the just overall great guy he is, they start to take to him, which to Brad is a dream come true. Things start to change when the kid’s real father Dusty (Mark Walberg) shows up and Brad feels like he is overmatched. Soon the two men start to play a game of one up, as they compete to be the kid’s favorite dad.
Going into this film, I knew that the situation would lend its self to some really humorous moments; I was just hoping they weren’t all shown in the trailer. The good news is they didn’t, as Ferrell and Walberg prove once again they work well together. As much as you will enjoy those two, it’s Thomas Haden Church and Hannibal Buress who steal every scene they are in, as Ferrell’s boss and guest in the Brad’s home respectively. The screenplay was written by John Morris, Brian Burns, and Sean Anders, the later also directing it. ”Daddy’s Home” has plenty of laughs, with many as usual coming at the expense of Ferrell, who does everything from almost killing a cheerleader, to going through a wall all to show how cool he is. I really was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this film, only because you never know what you are going to get with Ferrell. With Daddy’s Home” you get the good one, where he is in his element, with funny lines and extreme situations. I have never had a stepfather, or two fathers who competed to be the best dad ever. If I did though, I could only hope it would be like this, two fathers’ who care, and provide plenty of laughs along the way.