Daddy's Home 2 Review: 3 Ups & 6 Downs

2. The Surprisingly Hilarious Third Act

Though the first hour-or-so of the movie is pure holiday sequel formula, the final half-hour actually generates a surprising number of gut-laughs, to the extent that it almost feels like it was written by somebody else.

A lot of the middling gags set up earlier in the film have shockingly hysterical payoffs, and overall it just feels like everyone involved is finally throwing caution to the wind rather than just playing things safe.

The gag success rate is stunningly high compared to the first two acts, and while certainly not enough to save the entire movie, ensures it doesn't quite end on the bum note you were probably expecting.