Mark Wahlberg's prior works have demonstrated that he has the comic timing and action chops to make sense for yet another flick that combines suberban family espionage. אחד מן “True Lies” or even the underrated “Nobody.” It seems that every viewer loves the story of an everyday family man who transforms into a highly-skilled assassin. It makes one ponder whether they’d be able to save their family if they were being hunted, or if the mysterious guy living down their block has a secret past. When done well, such as in the great James Cameron movie — which, by the way, just released on 4K VOD — it’s a fun little subgenre. "The Family Plan," however, is not one of those.

Wahlberg desempenha o papel de Dan Morgan, um sujeito qualquer que trabalha em uma concessionária e aproveita a rotina em família. A família come taco às quartas-feiras (porque terça-feira é muito previsível); ele se “relaciona” com a esposa Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) às quintas. Ele está tendo um pequeno problema de convivência com os dois filhos adolescentes. Nina (Zoe Colletti) quer trocar a Universidade de Stanford pela Southern Iowa University para namorar um garoto, e Kyle (Van Crosby) esconde que ainda está jogando os jogos de tiro que papai proibiu ele de desfrutar. Além, claro, de um terceiro e inesperado “filhote” que consegue fazer caretas e sons de bebês malucos enquanto as coisas acontecem. Repetidas vezes.

The infant is prominently featured in the film’s first major set piece, a thrilling showdown in a grocery store where an assassin attempts to ambush Dan while he’s carrying the child in a baby copyright. If that sounds outrageous, you're not mistaken. This marks the first signs that "The Family Plan" is really going off the rails with contrived scenarios bound to be perceived as humorous rather than relatable in any real sense. At its best, this subgenre derives charm from the presence of a warm, familiar underbelly throughout the action and the comedy. “The Family Plan” is continuously devoid of coherence based on actual human behavior and does not succeed in replacing disbelief with laughter or excitement.

Dan's life as a hired killer for shadowy figure McCaffrey (Ciaran Hinds) doesn't seem to end well for him. Once his cover is blown, he contacts an old friend, Augie (Said Taghmaoui), so they can meet the Morgans in Vegas and begin a new life. This results in a warm family road trip from the Morgans house in Buffalo to Vegas. Dan optimistically hopes that along the way he can tell Jessica the truth, deal with his teen sons, and avoid fighting the rest of the family. But as is the true nature of family trips, it serves as an excuse for the kids see the parents scream-singing “Ice, Ice Baby” in the family car. In fact, about an absurd number of shots of the baby behaving in a “quirky” or “funny” manner are inserted to showcase just how little faith the creators had in their characters—and their audience.

With all the attempted murders and supremely bad parental skills that follow the Morgans family commotion from New York to Nevada, bypassing the baby, the Morgans successfully make it to the city of sin - Las Vegas. I’m sorry, as forgiving as I want to be towards a mindless comedy, the premise of Dan leaving his kids, including the baby, to go for a fancy dinner with Jessica is beyond absurd. I sane Morgans get separated, McCaffrey finds them, and then, the world gets to discover the shocking reality.

Mark Wahlberg could absolutely work in this kind of idiotic spin-off and come out with gold. His dreamy disposition paired with a tough persona makes him believable as both a family man and a retired assassin, which is convenient given the scenario. There’s also Monaghan, who as always, steals the show adding depth to a housewife Jessica who is utterly drained from her mundane existence and yearns to relive her spontaneous, vibrant youth (and magic, speaking of wasted performers, Maggie Q does a lot with very little here as a new friend of Jessica’s with obvious ill intentions). Last but not least, props to Zoe Colletti, who’s adorable in a pretty thankless role as the daughter.

None of the blamed actors in “The Family Plan” had any role in the movie’s failure. Everyone performed well, but they are fighting an uphill battle with a family film that lacks agency and direction. There is no unifying vision that blends the rare combination of action and family. The most jarring moments in the film’s conclusion are shockingly violent, with gunfire in a packed Vegas casino and a dirty diaper death scene that will haunt my dreams. It further signifies that no one problem solved what film to make this—whether a family comedy, spy thriller or a some amalgamation. They all chose none of the options.