The Family Plan 2

Look, this isn't meant to be a Jason Statham style action-packed movie. It has all the trappings for it, sure. But, it's self aware enough to know it's not fooling anyone. It's great for an end of the Holiday Family Crash out on the Couch night.

Dad will prob fall asleep, but the movie is wholesome enough to be wiz-bang and done well enough to not drive a film buff crazy. But, it's filled with tropes, safe for the kiddos, and enough to crash out to. If you miss the ending from passing out, don't worry. It's that kinda of movie.

"The Family Plan 2" tries to expand on the success of its predecessor, but in doing so, it abandons most of what made the first film so charming. What was once a playful mix of comedy and light action becomes a more serious, straightforward action movie - and unfortunately, that shift strips away the heart and fun that defined the original.

The biggest issue is how redundant the film feels. Instead of offering new ideas, fresh character moments, or a clever twist on the formula, it reuses familiar beats without adding anything of value. The humor - the core ingredient that made the first movie stand out - is almost absent. In its place is a tone that's noticeably heavier, but not in a compelling way.

As a more serious action film, it struggles. The action sequences are competent but uninspired, and the story never rises beyond mediocrity. Without the comedic personality of the first movie, the characters feel flatter, their interactions less lively, and the overall experience far more forgettable.

It's a shame, because the potential was there. The first film showed how lighthearted fun and simple storytelling could blend into something genuinely enjoyable. But "The Family Plan 2" trades that identity for something blander, and the result is a sequel that feels unnecessary and strangely hollow.

Not terrible - just painfully average, and a letdown compared to the movie that came before it.

As usual, several of those involved in this production have done their best to lift this film to the skies, but this movie doesn't deserve a single star.

Predictable from the very beginning how everything will end. A villain who is more comical than threatening. I found myself sitting there laughing at the acting in this movie. Especially the lousy acting from Mark Wahlberg himself, and from the villain in all of this.

The kids are all so bad, I despise them all. There is no comedy in this movie. The action scenes is more on the boring side.

This is just so bad on every level. I would advise against wasting time on this movie.

Absolute cliché in every moment, boring even skipping fully predictable scenes, conversations. 3 star only goes to the professional craftsmen who worked well for their salary. I could feel even on the actors asking the Director: "usual character, nothing special, or twist? OK, too easy... here you are."

I actually liked the original a lot, so was excited to see this come out. Unfortunately, this is not nearly as well done or entertaining.

There's much less action in general, and the comedy bounces between lazy and old tropes from the first movie.

The writing/story is pretty lazy as well. Too many conveniences to pop them out of impossibly written situations. Same with acting. Not sure if he's just getting older, but Wahlberg seemed particularly uninterested the entire movie, a big departure from the first.

All of that out of the way, it's still an extremely watchable movie. Throw it on when you're ready to turn your brain off and veg out for a while.