Starring:Â Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Linda Cardellini
Directed by:Â Sean Anders (“Horrible Bosses”)
Written by:Â Brian Burns (“You Stupid Man”), Sean Anders (“Hot Tub Time Machine”), John Morris (“We’re the Millers”)
If the offbeat dynamic between Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell had you rolling in the aisle with 2010’s “The Other Guys,” the unlikely duo provides more consistent laughs in this domestic comedy from filmmaker Sean Anders (“That’s My Boy”). Just when stepfather Brad (Ferrell) feels he has finally been accepted into the family by his wife’s two young kids, the compassionate radio executive is forced to fight for their affection and attention when their badass biological dad Dusty (Wahlberg) rides back into their lives to prove he’s still king of the castle. Playing the fool might come second nature to Ferrell at this point of his career, but with a little more heart in this movie it’s easier to sympathize with his character, much like Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents. There are moments around the halfway point where the gags lose steam, but the satisfying mishmash of broad and dry humor does the trick more often than not.