Story
In Daddy’s Home 2, stepfather Brad (Will Ferrell) and biological father Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) seem to have made amends after the feud that featured in the first Daddy’s Home movie. They’re busy showing off their family-raising abilities as ‘co-dads’. But then their daughter Megan (Scarlett Estevez) announces in her school address that she hates Christmas because she has to go back and forth between homes. So Brad and Dusty decide to have a combined Christmas that includes family members from both sides.
Brad announces that his good-natured father, Don (John Lithgow), will be joining them for Christmas this year. But then Dusty’s estranged father, Kurt (Mel Gibson), also invites himself to the celebration. Trouble-making Kurt suspects that things between Brad and Dusty aren’t as amicable as they seem. He engineers situations to reveal how the two dads genuinely feel about each other.Themes
Family, parent-child relationships, divorce
Violence
Daddy’s Home 2 has some violence. For example:
Sexual references
Daddy’s Home 2 has some sexual references. For example:
- Kurt is a womaniser. He talks boastfully about sleeping with women.
- There are references to prostitutes.
- A young girl says to a boy, ‘Do you want to French (kiss) her?’
- Brad tries to have the ‘sex talk’ with Dylan (Owen Vaccaro).
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Daddy’s Home 2 shows some use of substances. For example:
- People drink shots and beer. They also talk about drowning your sorrows with alcohol.
- There’s a scene where two children, Megan and Adriana, sneak eggnog, knowing that it contains alcohol. They get drunk and act inappropriately.
Nudity and sexual activity
There is no sexual activity seen in Daddy’s Home 2. But there is some nudity, when Brad’s bottom can be seen through dangling underwear.
Product placement
The following products are displayed or used in Daddy’s Home 2:
- Apple iPhones and iPads
- various vehicles including Toyota, Ford and VW
- SpongeBob Squarepants
- Alaska Airlines
- Airbnb
- Starbucks.
Coarse language
Daddy’s Home 2 has some coarse language and gender-based and sexuality-based insults.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Daddy’s Home 2 builds on the themes of the first movie – the complexities of families getting along after divorce and/or separation. This movie seems to reach deeper into that theme by showing the good and bad sides of the relationships between the dads and their own fathers. Brad also reminds Dusty that although he and his dad had a bad relationship growing up, he could benefit from doing what’s right for his own children.
Because of its violence, sexual references, coarse language and substance use, Daddy’s Home 2 isn’t recommended for children under 9 years. Also, we recommend parental guidance for children aged 9-14 years.
The main messages from this movie are about being a parent and working with others to do what’s right for your children. This involves putting aside any personal problems you have as adults with each other.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include the importance of getting along with parents and step-parents, particularly if they’re trying hard to do the right thing.
This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like:
- the dangers of using guns and high-powered rifles – for example, Megan’s parents guide her use of guns but she easily makes a mistake and shoots Kurt
- the consequences of shoplifting – for example, an adult in the movie is featured shoplifting, but this is overlooked because she is physically beautiful
- the importance of not drinking alcohol as a minor and not stealing alcohol to drink.