A former government operative is attacked, forcing him and his family to go on the run. Pursued across the country, he protects his loved ones while confronting his dark past and deadly enemies, culminating in a showdown in Las Vegas.
Chuck says:
Simon Cellan Jones’ “The Family Plan 2” tries to be two things at once. On the one hand, it wants to be an action thriller, replete with international settings and a bad guy who makes no small plans. On the other, it strives to be a warm-hearted family comedy that stresses the importance of being together and the power of forgiveness.
Regarding its efforts to be a slam-bang thrill-fest, it fails horribly. Jones is clueless when it comes to choregraphing and filming action scenes. The kinetic editing employed to piece them all together results in a headache-inducing mishmash, the visuals on display impossible to follow. Where the second goal is concerned, the film is much more successful. David Coggeshall’s script manages to find the perfect balance between tension and mirth, the sentiment isn’t laid on too thick and, surprisingly, it’s quite funny at times. Of course, Jones’ committed cast proves to be the key ingredient as they manage to sell this piece of ridiculousness.
Having found out that dear old dad, Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg), was a spy before he got married, the various members of his family have seemingly adjusted to this revelation with ease. His wife, Jessica (Michelle Monaghan), sees him in a new, sexier light, their daughter Nina (Zoe Colletti) is studying abroad in England, their son Kyle (Van Crosby) can’t wait to go off to college and their youngest, Max (Peter and Theodore Lindsey) remains blissfully clueless to all that goes on.
However, things go off the rails when Dan takes the crew to London to surprise Nina with a Christmas visit and answer an inquiry from a prospective client of his high-tech security business. That turns out to be Dan’s half-brother, Finn (Kit Harrington) whom he hasn’t seen in decades. Seems he needs his estranged sibling’s help in accessing their deceased, criminal father’s vast fortune. Of course, Dan refuses and soon the Morgan’s are on the run, as Finn, bad sport that he is, has put out a bounty on their heads and every mercenary in Europe is on their tail.
Obviously, none of this is to be taken seriously and, wisely, no one involved is doing that. There’s a light, at times, goofy tone to the film that is charming, so much so, you’ll likely be wishing, as I was, the action had been omitted, and this was simply a straight comedy. The familial interactions have a lived-in feel to them and the humor generated from them is unforced and natural. A welcome addition to this dynamic is Reda Elazouar as Nina’s boyfriend Omar, a practitioner of parkour and getting Dan’s goat whenever he can.
Equally effective are the performances. Wahlberg brings just the right amount of exasperation to his on-edge Dan, Monaghan gives Jessica a sense of strength that’s not overbearing, Colletti manages to make Nina opinionated without being irritating and the sense of teen exasperation Crosby gives Kyle is understandable and sympathetic. Granted, the combined cuteness of the Lindsey’s as Max is too much, but what are you going to do?
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the movie is its conclusion. An unlikely reconciliation occurs that, while hardly probable, is welcome, nonetheless. In these tumultuous times, I’ll take examples of kindness wherever I can find them. Granted, you’ll likely forget everything about the film once the credits begin to roll, but as a mindless time-filler, you could do much worse than “Plan 2.”
2 1/2 Stars
