Curator Watchlist
A lightweight holiday action-comedy sequel with a familiar spy-dad premise, but the consensus points to thin writing, recycled beats, and only sporadic laughs or action. It may work as low-stakes background entertainment, but it does not sound sharp enough to justify a priority watch.
Where to watch: Buy
Tue · 1h 46m
Director: Simon Cellan Jones
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, Kit Harington
Now that Dan's assassin days are behind him, all he wants for Christmas is quality time with his kids. But when he learns his daughter has her own plans, he books a family trip to London—putting them all in the crosshairs of an unexpected enemy.
Simon Cellan Jones
Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, Kit Harington
A lightweight holiday action-comedy sequel with a familiar spy-dad premise, but the consensus points to thin writing, recycled beats, and only sporadic laughs or action. It may work as low-stakes background entertainment, but it does not sound sharp enough to justify a priority watch.
The Family Plan 2 leans hard on the same broad appeal as the first film: a suburban dad with a dangerous past, a family trip gone sideways, and action beats designed to be more amusing than intense. The London setting and holiday framing give it a bit of seasonal sheen, but the premise is still built on familiar, well-worn machinery.
What seems to hold it back is execution. The reviews suggest the action is occasionally competent, but the comedy lands inconsistently and the script doesn’t add much beyond the setup. It sounds like the kind of sequel that keeps moving without ever sharpening its ideas.
If you’re in the mood for a disposable, family-friendly spy romp, it may pass the time. But for most viewers, there are better action-comedies and better Christmas-adjacent crowd-pleasers that deliver more energy, wit, and personality.
JoshuaCaine (2.5★) · 392 likes
If I saw my wife flirting with a shredded wet Moroccan dude who just came out the shower then imma have to start flirting with him too to make everyone uncomfortable
Edvin Karelius (2★) · 350 likes
Looking forward to the evil cousin in the third movie
davidehrlich (1★) · 341 likes
Poor Michelle Monaghan. Just when it seemed like she had found true love, it turned out that her fiancé was a not-so-retired IMF super spy who was existentially incapable of leaving his old life behind. And when that relationship didn’t work out (something to do with the demands of saving the world and everyone in it), she rebounded by starting a life with a Buffalo used car salesman who — shortly after the birth of their third child together —
Kylo (3★) · 225 likes
There’s no way London police ever stood a chance against Marky Mark robbing a bank in broad daylight with his whole family in tow.
oliviadion (2.5★) · 207 likes
“The Family Plan B” was right there??
A benchmark for the domestic-life-meets-secret-agent formula, with bigger set pieces and sharper comic timing.
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Shares the buddy-comedy energy and broad mainstream humor, while keeping the action playful.
If you want a more tightly written comedy with escalating chaos and better comic payoff, this is a stronger pick.
For holiday-season family dysfunction and escalating disaster, it’s a classic with much more bite.
A lighter, more inventive mistaken-identity comedy that keeps the espionage angle fun and absurd.
Another family-friendly action-comedy built on a tough-guy-in-suburbia premise, but with more charm.
A kid-friendly spy-and-family setup that fits the same broad audience, even if it’s similarly lightweight.
A globe-trotting action-comedy with more momentum, chemistry, and polished set pieces.
For viewers who want loud, comic action and constant banter, this delivers more energy and personality.
family bonds, secret identity, holiday chaos, spy past returns, road-trip mayhem, parenting under pressure, light action-comedy, international escapism
action-comedy, holiday movie, family adventure, spy thriller, sequel, road trip, Christmas, lighthearted, formulaic, London