Daddy's Home – Ein Vater zu viel (2015)

Daddy’s Home – Ein Vater zu viel: Directed by Sean Anders. With Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, Thomas Haden Church. Brad Whitaker is a radio host trying to get his stepchildren to love him and call him Dad. But his plans turn upside down when their biological father, Dusty Mayron, returns.

“u0026quot;Modern Familyu0026quot; has been showing it to us on our TV screens since 2009. On the big screen, u0026quot;Mrs. Doubtfireu0026quot; talked about it back in 1993: u0026quot;Some parents, when theyu0026#39;re angry, they get along much better when they donu0026#39;t live together. They donu0026#39;t fight all the time, and they can become better people, and much better mummies and daddies for you. There are all sorts of different families.u0026quot; The Best Picture Oscar winner u0026quot;Kramer vs. Krameru0026quot; dramatized it back in 1979, along with numerous other TV shows and movies before and since. These entertainment products reflect todayu0026#39;s society and help people deal with the stresses and heartbreak of divorce and the formation of new and even unconventional families. Often, TV shows and movies do these things with humor, as in the film u0026quot;Daddyu0026#39;s Homeu0026quot; (PG-13, 1:36).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWill Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg (previously seen together in 2010u0026#39;s u0026quot;The Other Guysu0026quot;) star as Brad Whitaker and Dustin Mayron, two dads vying for the affections and loyalties of young brother and sister, Dylan and Megan (Owen Vaccaro and Scarlett Estevez). Dustin was the proverbial bad boy who was exciting for Sara (Linda Cardellini) to date. After marrying her and giving her two beautiful children, the same qualities which initially made him appealing, made him impossible to live with and the couple split. Enter Brad, a sensitive man who canu0026#39;t have children, but who has a tremendous paternal instinct. He marries Sara and is a great husband and father – at least, to the extent that the kids allow. Still attached to their absentee bio-dad, the kids make Brad work for every ounce of grudging acceptance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhen Dustin unexpectedly calls the Whitaker home and announces that heu0026#39;s flying to New Orleans for a visit, Brad happily picks up Dustin from the airport. Bradu0026#39;s a bit intimidated by Dustinu0026#39;s machismo, but remains confident in his own lovingly and patiently-cultivated position of step-dad. Just starting to make emotional inroads with Dylan and Megan, Brad is thrown off his game by Dustinu0026#39;s u0026quot;fun dadu0026quot; persona – and passive-aggressive efforts to make Dustin look… less. Along the way, Brad gets u0026quot;adviceu0026quot; in the form of humorously self-aggrandizing stories from his boss (Thomas Haden Church) and medical help in trying to expand his family from a famous fertility doctor (Bobby Cannavale), while having to deal with a handyman (Hannibal Buress) whom Dustin invites to move in and who thinks that Bradu0026#39;s a racist. As Brad and Dustin escalate their competition, each deals with some of his efforts hilariously backfiring. Itu0026#39;s going to take a lot of grit, determination and cunning for either Brad or Dustin to win this u0026quot;dad offu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Daddyu0026#39;s Homeu0026quot; is a very funny and well-constructed comedy with a lot of heart. The movieu0026#39;s jokes and sight-gags range from sweet to predictably crude, are often clever and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. Ferrell and Wahlberg are in top form. Ferrellu0026#39;s over-the-top patient understanding and affection-winning efforts make us root for him… until weu0026#39;re not so sure. Wahlbergu0026#39;s oblique persona and shifting tactics keep us guessing. The cumulative result is a back-and-forth battle whose outcome may be predictable, but still entertains us with the method to its madness. My advice? As soon as daddyu0026#39;s home, get him to leave daddyu0026#39;s home and take him to see u0026quot;Daddyu0026#39;s Homeu0026quot;. Heu0026#39;ll appreciate it. u0026quot;A-u0026quot;”