Somebody needs to explain how a boilerplate comedy of humiliation works exactly. A feminized, middle-aged stepdad (Will Ferrell) is intimidated and out-swaggered and constantly humiliated by an edgy bike-riding type (Mark Wahlberg) who’s the ex-husband of his wife (Linda Cardellini) and the biological father of the two kids. What kind of person would actually pay to see this? Would it be…what, women who enjoy watching two guys try to out-man or out-father each other? Or Ferrell-like schlumps looking to laugh about the usual frustrations of any suburban dad? Mystifying. Directed and co-written by Sean Anders (We’re The Millers, That’s My Boy), and being released by Paramount on 12.25.
