Two years ago Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg took an entertaining co-parenting comedy and used their star power to grab £184m at the global box office. Which is pretty impressive on a modest £38m budget.
This festive themed sequel doubles down on the dads by adding Mel Gibson’s smirking sex goblin and John Lithgow’s man-toddler, but dilutes the fun by half.
Plus the strong language and innuendo means this isn’t the joyous family film it thinks it is.
Most of the action takes place in a hunting lodge where the boys’ blended families are preparing the perfect ‘together Christmas’.
Among the macho posturing, childish squabbles and limp slapstick, there’s jaw-dropping misjudged rendition of Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
Poor Linda Cardellini’s role is to nag everyone while feeling inadequate for not looking supermodel hot.
Everyone sees a fake Christmas movie starring Liam Neeson called Missile Tow, now that’s the film I’d rather be watching.