The Family Plan 2 ☆☆ 1/2

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, Zoe Colletti, Van Crosby, Peter & Theo Lindsey, Reda Elazouar and Kit Harington

Directed by: Simon Cellan Jones

wo years ago, Mark Wahlberg starred in the utterly forgettable direct-to-streaming
action-comedy The Family Plan for Apple TV.

Despite its scathing reviews, it became a hit for the streamer, even going on to become Apple’s top-streamed film for a moment in time. It’s not a shock that a sequel was ordered, although it is a bit ironic that it’s the second Christmas-themed sequel for Wahlberg, after Daddy’s Home 2 in 2017.

Still, putting some tinsel up for a follow-up film is like a cheat, especially if you’re one of the many who will simply like a movie that puts you into the holiday spirit, regardless of its quality. After all, who would dare click play on The Family Plan 2 expecting one of the best movies of the year?

The Family Plan 2 kicks off two years after the first movie, when Dan Morgan’s (Mark Wahlberg) wife, Jessica (Michelle Monaghan), and kids, Nina (Zoe Colletti), Kyle (Van Crosby), and toddler Max (Peter & Theo Lindsey), are now fully aware of his past as a mercenary for his crime lord father. From the jump, we learn that Dan’s father has died in prison, and honestly, our heroic family man is doing just fine. Even as Jessica tells him that it’s totally normal to feel things over the loss.

But Dan is more concerned about the news that Nina, who is attending college in London, will not be coming home for Christmas. Dan, despite his gruff background, has always been one for tradition and family, so through his job as the head of a security firm, he books a client in the UK so that he can still be with his daughter for the holiday season.

Upon their arrival, Dan is immediately thrown for a loop when he learns that Nina has a boyfriend, Omar (Reda Elazouar), and even worse, the guy can’t seem to stop calling him “daddy.” That’s not only a detour that Dan encounters on his trip; in fact, something far worse and deadlier is waiting for him in the streets of London: his vengeful half-brother Aidan (Kit Harington).

If you didn’t like the first Family Plan movie, this sequel isn’t going to turn you into a fan. Sure, on the surface, it’s slightly better. It’s a bit less generic, and the stakes have been raised, as the Morgan family goes international, but in terms of quality, it’s still pretty much exactly what you’d expect, just slightly better.

Wahlberg and Monaghan have clearly furthered their chemistry as Dan and Jessica, where their married couple dynamic actually does come across as genuinely charming instead of forced. In fact, the sequel actually allows Monaghan to be given much more to do outside of just being the unassuming wife. In the early moments of the film, we see Dan scaling a hotel in order to meet up with Jessica for date night. It’s actually pretty cute, especially since returning director Simon Cellan Jones and screenwriter David Coggeshall have seemingly realized that they need to try something a bit new.

Sure, The Family Plan 2 does take the Morgan family back on vacation, but it’s not exactly the same as the first movie, beat for beat. Especially with the introduction of Harington’s Aidan, who actually proves to be a slightly compelling villain. The sequel never fully paints Aidan as some cold-hearted moustache-twirling villain, like it did with Ciarán Hinds’ McCaffrey in the first movie. Instead, we see him as someone who reeks of jealousy, especially since Dan got the life he never got to have. Yes, it’s very cliché and generic, but at least it’s actually trying.

As an action-comedy, however, The Family Plan 2 is far more interested in repeating some of the same unfunny jokes as its predecessor. Bits such as Dan and Jessica embarrassing their kids by singing the top ‘90s pop hits in the car or complaining about phones are all still present, and they still aren’t ever hilarious. A lot of it is just going through the same motions as the first film did with telling so-called jokes. It all goes back to “Mom and Dad just don’t get it. But also, I feel like I’m becoming them.” As Nina and Kyle are frequently embarrassed by how uncool their secretly badass action-hero Dad appears to be. The inclusion of Elazouar’s Omar attempts to shake things up, but even that sub-plot revolving around Dan’s disapproval is tired and worn out as soon as it’s introduced.

As cheap as it is, sometimes injecting a bit of Christmas spirit into a movie can take it a long way. In its first act, The Family Plan 2 has plenty to go around. As the film goes along, things get much more stale. Most of the action scenes are unremarkable. While the first film went into some unexpectedly violent places that felt at odds with the family-friendly tone, the sequel plays things too safely. One notorious example is a pivotal fight scene between Wahlberg and Harington, duking it out on a double-decker bus. Instead of having up-close shots of the fight, the film opts to have fights primarily take place within wide shots of the London streets, so the two stars’ fist fight takes place far away from the camera.

There’s nothing about The Family Plan 2 that particularly stands out aside from the European Christmas setting. Despite having a slightly different premise from the original, much of the film plays out like a sitcom. Yes, it’s an improvement over the first movie, that’s not saying much when your predecessor was already lacklustre. For those looking for a disposable Christmas movie to flick on when putting up your tree, then maybe The Family Plan 2 will do the trick. Otherwise, don’t make any plans to stream this sequel.

– Courtesy: Collider.com

Rating system: *Not on your life * ½ If you really must waste your time ** Hardly worth the bother ** ½ Okay for a slow afternoon only *** Good enough for a look see *** ½ Recommended viewing **** Don’t miss it **** ½ Almost perfect ***** Perfection